How to Stop Cutting Yourself
Go somewhere you cannot cut yourself., Call someone., Distract yourself., Delay cutting.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Go somewhere you cannot cut yourself.
If you are feeling the urge to cut yourself, go somewhere it is harder to do.
This can be some place public like a coffee shop or the living room of your home with your family or your roommates.This will make it harder for you to give in to the urge to cut.
It also might make you feel better, especially if you are around people who love and support you. -
Step 2: Call someone.
If you're alone in your house or are unable to leave, call someone you like to talk with when you get the urge to cut.
This can be a family member, a trusted friend, or a hotline.
It might be helpful to create a phone list of people you can call.
You can also program needed numbers into your phone.
There are many hotlines you can call for help.
One is 1-800-273-TALK, a 24-hour crisis hotline for those who are about to self-harm or are in an emergency situation.
You can also call 1-800-334-HELP, the Self Injury Foundation’s 24-hour national crisis line.
Also try 1-800-DONT-CUT, which provides information about self-harm.
If you hurt yourself or want to see a doctor, call 1-800-366-8288, which is S.A.F.E.
Alternatives’ information line for immediate support and referrals to a local physician.
If you are in the UK, you can call the Samaritans at 116 123, which is an agency that runs 24/7 and is dedicated to moments when you want to self-harm.
You can also call Childline, a hotline for children and teens at 0800
1111.
Both numbers are free from mobiles and landlines and neither will appear on your phone bill. , One great way to avoid self-harm is to distract yourself.
Not every distraction technique works for everyone, so you may need to try a few before you find which one works for you.
Sometimes the trigger or urge can be different depending on your feelings or the situation, which means your response to prevent or stop self-harm will also be different.Try the butterfly method.
When you have the urge to cut, draw a butterfly where you want to harm yourself and name it after a loved one or someone that wants you to get better.
If you cut, the butterfly dies.
You have to wash it off.
If it wears off and you didn't cut, it is released into the wild to be free.
Another idea is the pen method.
Grab a red pen and draw lines, squiggles, peace signs, or any symbol all over where you would've cut.
When you're done, count the lines.
That's how many scars you won't have.
If these don’t work, try to color your hair, make a cup of tea, count up to 500 or 1000, work on a puzzle or mind game, go people watching, play a musical instrument, watch TV or a movie, paint your nails, organize something like books or your closet, make origami to occupy your hands, be active, play a sport, take a walk, make up a dance routine, or do an art project or color in a picture.
The possibilities are endless.
It just has to be something that will adequately distract you., Whenever the urge to cut arises, delay the cutting.
Start with a small amount of time such as 10 minutes and increase the time you wait each time.
While you wait, think about the scars you don’t want and about how you don’t have to hurt yourself even though you're thinking about it or maybe want to do it.
Repeat affirmations to yourself, such as “I don’t deserve to be hurt,” even if you don’t believe it at first.Remember that you always have the choice not to cut.
The decision is truly up to you. -
Step 3: Distract yourself.
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Step 4: Delay cutting.
Detailed Guide
If you are feeling the urge to cut yourself, go somewhere it is harder to do.
This can be some place public like a coffee shop or the living room of your home with your family or your roommates.This will make it harder for you to give in to the urge to cut.
It also might make you feel better, especially if you are around people who love and support you.
If you're alone in your house or are unable to leave, call someone you like to talk with when you get the urge to cut.
This can be a family member, a trusted friend, or a hotline.
It might be helpful to create a phone list of people you can call.
You can also program needed numbers into your phone.
There are many hotlines you can call for help.
One is 1-800-273-TALK, a 24-hour crisis hotline for those who are about to self-harm or are in an emergency situation.
You can also call 1-800-334-HELP, the Self Injury Foundation’s 24-hour national crisis line.
Also try 1-800-DONT-CUT, which provides information about self-harm.
If you hurt yourself or want to see a doctor, call 1-800-366-8288, which is S.A.F.E.
Alternatives’ information line for immediate support and referrals to a local physician.
If you are in the UK, you can call the Samaritans at 116 123, which is an agency that runs 24/7 and is dedicated to moments when you want to self-harm.
You can also call Childline, a hotline for children and teens at 0800
1111.
Both numbers are free from mobiles and landlines and neither will appear on your phone bill. , One great way to avoid self-harm is to distract yourself.
Not every distraction technique works for everyone, so you may need to try a few before you find which one works for you.
Sometimes the trigger or urge can be different depending on your feelings or the situation, which means your response to prevent or stop self-harm will also be different.Try the butterfly method.
When you have the urge to cut, draw a butterfly where you want to harm yourself and name it after a loved one or someone that wants you to get better.
If you cut, the butterfly dies.
You have to wash it off.
If it wears off and you didn't cut, it is released into the wild to be free.
Another idea is the pen method.
Grab a red pen and draw lines, squiggles, peace signs, or any symbol all over where you would've cut.
When you're done, count the lines.
That's how many scars you won't have.
If these don’t work, try to color your hair, make a cup of tea, count up to 500 or 1000, work on a puzzle or mind game, go people watching, play a musical instrument, watch TV or a movie, paint your nails, organize something like books or your closet, make origami to occupy your hands, be active, play a sport, take a walk, make up a dance routine, or do an art project or color in a picture.
The possibilities are endless.
It just has to be something that will adequately distract you., Whenever the urge to cut arises, delay the cutting.
Start with a small amount of time such as 10 minutes and increase the time you wait each time.
While you wait, think about the scars you don’t want and about how you don’t have to hurt yourself even though you're thinking about it or maybe want to do it.
Repeat affirmations to yourself, such as “I don’t deserve to be hurt,” even if you don’t believe it at first.Remember that you always have the choice not to cut.
The decision is truly up to you.
About the Author
Ashley Gonzales
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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