a-spooky-dreamer:mentalillnessmouse:the-struggle-makes-youu-stronger:Alternatives for when you&rsquo
a-spooky-dreamer:mentalillnessmouse:the-struggle-makes-youu-stronger:Alternatives for when you’re feeling angry or restless:Scribble on photos of people in magazinesViciously stab an orangeThrow an apple/pair of socks against the wallHave a pillow fight with the wallScream very loudlyTear apart newspapers, photos, or magazinesGo to the gym, dance, exerciseListen to music and sing along loudlyDraw a picture of what is making you angryBeat up a stuffed bearPop bubble wrapPop balloonsSplatter paintScribble on a piece of paper until the whole page is blackFilling a piece of paper with drawing cross hatchesThrow darts at a dartboardGo for a runWrite your feelings on paper then rip it upUse stress relieversBuild a fort of pillows and then destroy itThrow ice cubes at the bathtub wall, at a tree, etcGet out a fine tooth comb and vigorously brush the fur of a stuffed animal (but use gentle vigor)Slash an empty plastic soda bottle or a piece of heavy cardboard or an old shirt or sockMake a soft cloth doll to represent the things you are angry at; cut and tear it instead of yourselfFlatten aluminium cans for recycling, seeing how fast you can goOn a sketch or photo of yourself, mark in red ink what you want to do. Cut and tear the pictureBreak sticksCut up fruitsMake yourself as comfortable as possibleStomp around in heavy shoesPlay handball or tennisYell at what you are breaking and tell it why you are angry, hurt, upset, etc.Buy a cheap plate and decorate it with markers, stickers, cut outs from magazines, words, images, what ever that expresses your pain and sadness and when you’re done, smash it. (Please be careful when doing this)Alternatives that will give you a sensation (other than pain) without harming yourself:Hold ice in your hands, against your arm, or in your mouthRun your hands under freezing cold waterWax your legsDrink freezing cold waterSplash your face with cold waterPut PVA/Elmer’s glue on your hands then peel it offMassage where you want to hurt yourselfTake a hot shower/bathJump up and down to get some sensation in your feetWrite or paint on yourselfArm wrestle with a member of your familyTake a cold bathBite into a hot pepper or chew a piece of ginger rootRub liniment under your nosePut tiger balm on the places you want to cut. (Tiger balm is a muscle relaxant cream that induces a tingly sensation. You can find it in most health food stores and vitamin stores.)Alternatives that will distract you or take up time:Say “I’ll self harm in fifteen minutes if I still want to” and keep going for periods of fifteen minutes until the urge fadesColor your hairCount up to ten getting louder until you are screamingSing on the karaoke machineComplete something you’ve been putting offTake up a new hobbyMake a cup of teaTell and laugh at jokesPlay solitaireCount up to 500 or 1000Surf the netMake as many words out of your full name as possibleCount ceiling tiles or lightsSearch ridiculous things on the webColour coordinate your wardrobePlay with toys, such as a slinkyGo to the park and play on the swingsCall up an old friendGo “people watching”Carry safe, rather than sharp, things in your pocketsDo school workPlay a musical instrumentWatch TV or a moviePaint your nailsAlphabetize your CDs or booksCookMake origami to occupy your handsDoodle on sheets of paperDress up or try on old clothesPlay computer games or painting programs, such as photoshopWrite out lyrics to your favorite songPlay a sportRead a book/magazineDo a crosswordDraw a comic stripMake a chain link out of paper counting the hours or days you’ve been self harm free using pretty colored paperKnit, sew, or make a necklaceMake ‘scoobies’ - braid pieces of plastic or lace, to keep your hands busyBuy a plant and take care of itHunt for things on eBay or AmazonBrowse the forumsGo shoppingMemorize a poem with meaningLearn to swear in another languageLook up words in a dictionaryPlay hide-and-seek with your siblingsGo outside and watch the clouds roll byPlan a partyFind out if any concerts will be in your areaMake your own dance routineTrace your hand on a piece of paper; on your thumb, write something you like to look at; on your index finger, write something you like to touch; on your middle finger, write your favorite scent; on your ring finger, write something you like the taste of; on your pinky finger, write something you like to listen to; on your palm, write something you like about yourselfPlan regular activities for your most difficult time of dayFinish homework before it’s dueTake a break from mental processingNotice black and white thinkingGet out on your own, get away from the stressGo on YouTubeMake a scrapbookColour in a picture or colouring book.Make a phone list of people you can call for support. Allow yourself to use it.Pay attention to your breathing (breath slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth)Pay attention to the rhythmic motions of your body (walking, stretching, etc.)Learn HALT signals (hungry, angry, lonely, tired)Choose a random object, like a paper clip, and try to list 30 different uses for itPick a subject and research it on the web - alternatively, pick something to research and then keep clicking on links, trying to get as far away from the original topic as you can.Take a small step towards a goal you have.Alternatives that are completely bizarre. At the least, you’ll have a laugh:Crawl on all fours and bark like a dog or another animalRun around outside screamingLaugh for no reason whatsoeverMake funny faces in a mirrorWithout turning orange, self tanPluck your eyebrowsPut faces on apples, oranges, or other sorts of foodGo to the zoo and name all of the animalsColor on the wallsBlow bubblesPull weeds in the gardenAlternatives for when you’re feeling guilty, sad, or lonely:Congratulate yourself on each minute you go without self harmingDraw or paintLook at the skyInstead of punishing yourself by self harming, punish yourself by not self harmingCall a friend and ask for companyBuy a cuddly toyGive someone a hug with a smilePut a face mask onWatch a favorite TV show or movieEat something ridiculously sweetRemember a happy moment and relive it for a while in your headTreat yourself to some chocolateTry to imagine the future and plan things you want to doLook at things that are special to youCompliment someone elseMake sculpturesWatch fishLet yourself cryPlay with a petHave or give a massageImagine yourself living in a perfect home and describe it in your mindIf you’re religious, read the bible or prayLight a candle and watch the flame (but please be careful)Go chat in the chat roomAllow yourself to cry; crying is a healthy release of emotionAccept a gift from a friendCarry tokens to remind you of peaceful comforting things/peopleTake a hot bath with bath oil or bubblesCurl up under a comforter with hot cocoa and a good bookMake affirmation tapes inside you that are good, kind, gentle (Sometimes you can do this by writing down the negative thoughts and then physically re-writing them into positive messages)Make a tray of special treats and tuck yourself into bed with it and watch TV or readAlternatives for when you’re feeling panicky or scared:“See, hear and feel”-5 things, then 4, then 3 and countdown to one which will make you focus on your surroundings and will calm you downListen to soothing music; have a CD with motivational songs that you can listen toMeditate or do yogaName all of your soft toysHug a pillow or soft toyHyper focus on somethingDo a “reality check list” – write down all the things you can list about where you are now (e.g. It is the 9th November 2004, I’m a room and everything is going to be alright)With permission, give someone a hugDrink herbal teaCrunch iceHug a treeGo for a walk if it’s safe to do soFeel your pulse to prove you’re aliveGo outside and attempt to catch butterflies or lizardsPut your feet firmly on the floorAccept where you are in the process. Beating yourself up, only makes it worseTouch something familiar/safeLeave the roomLay on your back in bed comfortably (eyes closed), and breathe in for 4, hold for 2, out for 4, hold for 2. Make sure to fill your belly up with air, not your chest. If your shoulders are going up, keep working on it. When you’re comfortable breathing, put your hand on your belly and rub up and down in time with your breathing. If your mind wanders to other things, move it back to focusing ONLY on the synchronized movement of your hand and breathing.Give yourself permission to…. (Keep it safe)Alternatives that will hopefully make you think twice about harming yourself:Think about how you don’t want scarsTreat yourself nicelyRemember that you don’t have to hurt yourself just because you’re thinking about self harmCreate a safe place to goAcknowledge that self harm is harmful behavior: say “I want to hurt myself” rather than “I want to cut”Repeat to yourself “I don’t deserve to be hurt” even if you don’t believe itRemember that you always have the choice not to cut: it’s up to you what you doThink about how you may feel guilty after self harmingRemind yourself that the urge to self harm is impulsive: you will only feel like cutting for short bursts of timeAvoid temptationGet your friends to make you friendship bracelets: wear them around your wrists to remind you of them when you want to cutBe with other peopleMake your own list of things to do instead of self harmMake a list of your positive character traitsBe nice to your family, who in return, will hopefully be nice to youPut a band-aid on the area where you’d like to self harmRecognize and acknowledge the choices you have NOWPay attention to the changes needed to make you feel safeNotice “choices” versus “dilemmas”Lose the “should-could-have to” words. Try… “What if”Kiss the places you want to SH or kiss the places you have healing wounds. It can be a reminder that you care about myself and that you don’t want thisChoose your way of thinking, try to resist following old thinking patternsThe Butterfly project- draw a butterfly on the place(s) that you would self harm and if the butterfly fades without self-harming, it means it has lived and flown away, giving a sense of achievement. Whereas if you do self-harm with the butterfly there; you will have to wash it off. If that does happen, you can start again by drawing a new one on. You can name the butterfly after someone you love.Write the name of a loved one [a friend, family member, or anyone else who cares about you] and write their name where you want to self harm. When you go to self harm remember how much they care and wouldn’t want you to harm yourself.think about what you would say to a friend who was struggling with the same things you are and try to be a good friend to yourself.Make a bracelet out duct tape, and put a line on it every day (Or any period of time) you go without self harm. When it’s full of lines, take it off and make a chain out of all the bracelets and hang it up somewhere where you can be reminded of your great progress.Alternatives that give the illusion of seeing something similar to blood:Draw on yourself with a red pen or body paint, or go to a site such as this, where you ‘cut’ the screen (be aware that some users may find this triggering, so view with caution)Cover yourself with plasters where you want to cutGive yourself a henna or fake tattooMake “wounds” with makeup, like lipstickTake a small bottle of liquid red food coloring and warm it slightly by dropping it into a cup of hot water for a few minutes. Uncap the bottle and press its tip against the place you want to cut. Draw the bottle in a cutting motion while squeezing it slightly to let the food color trickle out.Draw on the areas you want to cut using ice that you’ve made by dropping six or seven drops of red food color into each of the ice-cube tray wells.Paint yourself with red tempera paint.‘Cut’ your skin with nail polish (it feels cold, but it’s hard to get off)Alternatives to help you sort through your feelings:Phone a friend and talk to themMake a collage of how you feelNegotiate with yourselfIdentify what is hurting so bad that you need to express it in this wayWrite your feelings in a diaryFree write (Write down whatever you’re thinking at that moment, even if it doesn’t make sense)Make lists of everything such as blessings in your lifeMake a notebook of song lyrics that you relate toCall a hotlineWrite a letter to someone telling them how you feel (but you don’t have to send it if you decide not to)Start a grateful journal where everyday you write down three: good things that happened/ things that you accomplished/ are grateful for/ made you smile. Make sure the journal is strictly for positive things. Then when you feel down you can go back and look at it.Drawing/painting on my arms and such really helps me for some reason. I’m an art student and really love the smell of paint. Be careful and make sure you’re using non-toxic things thoughJust a warning about using ice against your skin: my friend’s therapist, who has dealt with many people who self-harm, warns against doing this. Doing so may numb the skin, but a lot of people take the opportunity to harm themselves more, because they can’t feel the pain. So it’s actually counter-intuitive. This may work for some people, but just a warning.((And crying really is okay, to let it out. I wouldn’t want you to end up where I am-afraid to cry and taking it out on my body. It’s really okay.)) -- source link