Take a Moment to Think Before You Self-Harm
This weekend, I fell on my face. I literally fell onto the sidewalk and currently have the ugliest scab and bruise covering the right side of my face. After I fell onto the cement, pain filled my body. Obviously this is normal when it comes to any accidental scrape or cut or bruise. However, for some reason, memories from my self-harming past popped into my mind. I started thinking to myself, "Why would I have caused so much physical pain to myself just for distraction and escape? Pain hurts."
Stop and Think Through the Self-Harm Urge
Self-harmers cut or burn or pick for different reasons, and the reasons behind my self-harm were mainly distraction and escape. However, the euphoric rush only lasts for so long, so what do you do after the feeling is gone? Do you feel regret? Disappointment? Anger?
In this video blog, I discuss how we all need to think before we self-harm. Thinking before we do anything applies to many different things in life. In fact, once you find out why I fell on my face, you'll know why I should have really thought before I acted. However, think before you make the cut because days or months or years later, that scar may still haunt you.
Sometimes, scars remind us of overcoming battles. However, some scars are just not worth those memories.
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APA Reference
Aline, J.
(2013, August 27). Take a Moment to Think Before You Self-Harm, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, April 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/speakingoutaboutselfinjury/2013/08/self-harm-and-thinking-before-you-act
Author: Jennifer Aline Graham
Sorry for the injury, I know that hurt. I understand what you're saying. But for me 40 yrs ago, I was in my earlier twenties, when I cut myself for the first time. I watch the blood flow from my hand, a calmness came over me at that moment. I was having terrible nightmares, back flashes of an awful time in life. I was married with two sons. Why was I remembering this now! I was angry, this wasn't fair. I buried that so deep inside me that I knew that the day I said "I do" to that wonderful yg man that I loved, I would never have to feel that dirtiness inside again. My point is, when it all finally came out and Pandoras box was now open I shattered inside. The ugliness and self-hate wasexposed. I had to cleanse myself of the filth inside. So I started cutting in a ritual way. I would disassociate, the cuts had to bleed enough for me to feel clean. Twice, it almost took my life. My last cut was at 30 yrs.old.I woke up in the hospital once again from to deep of an injury. My psychiatrist was standing at the end of my bed and told me my husband has given his consent to take my medical decisions making away from me and now a judge had sentence me to 90 days in patient therapy program.I know it saved my life. Now I am 60yrs old,yes my arms and thighs have terrible scars on them. I don't dwell on why I have these scars. I am a survivor of a terrible time in my life which few people who as you say self harm survive. I now talk to the yg girls who are self-injuries themselves. My story, my arms show them that you don't have to do this to get well.It also shows them these scars never go away!! even after thirty years.