Am I alone?

[Loula]

Am I alone? Every time something goes wrong I want to self-harm. I  start holding my wrists tight. All I can think is you can harm yourself and it will feel better. I do know it will only feel better for like 15 minutes then make me feel worse for days. I’m not going to. But the feeling of doing it is so tempting and I don’t know why, except if I do something wrong or think of a bad memory this happens.

[Sophie_M]

Dear Loula,
 
We are sorry to hear you are currently struggling with these urges, resisting these thoughts can be difficult and distressing. Thank you for having the courage to share your feelings and concerns with the community and the strength to seek assistance.
 
As you have stated in your post, there is little long-term benefits to self-harm and these urges are only concerned in meeting the needs of right now. Please continue to use that train of thinking to resist these feelings and ensure you engage with supports if this is becoming too difficult to maintain
 
If at any point you need to reach out about wanting to self-harm, we are always here for you. Please remember if you feel you need to talk through how you are feeling or honestly do just need a chat, please contact Beyond Blue either via phone  1300 22 4636 or through Beyond Blue Online Chat.
 
Alternatively we would also recommend the suicide call back service, they offer a range of contact methods that can be accessed via Suicide Callback Service or by giving them a call on 1300 659 467.
 
If at any point those urges to self-harm become overwhelming and you believe you may be at risk, or you no longer feel safe we urge you to contact emergency services on 000.
 
Please remember you’re not alone though this journey, the community is here to support you through this difficult experience and Beyond Blue counsellors are just a phone call away, should you need them.
 
Warm regards
Sophie M

[Bob_22]

Hi Loula,

Thank you for reaching out. You certainly are not alone and in fact self harm, otherwise known as non-suicidal self injury (NSSI), is unfortunately quite common especially in young people (approximately 5%). While these issues are best addressed with a psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health accredited social worker there are certainly resources available online for you to have a look at. On this website, there is a page which includes a fact sheet on suicide and self harm. This is available here: beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/suicide-prevention/feeling-suicidal/self-harm-and-self-injury. There is also info available on the blackdog institute website: blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/suicide-self-harm/ as well as the mental health first aid (MHFA) website. Apologies for the barrage of resources. I'm just not sure if you're familiar with this info. 🙂

In the meantime, please consider the crisis lines listed in the post above and feel free to update us on how you're travelling.

Best regards,

Bob

[Sophia16]

Hi Loula,

Thank you for being so open here. You are definitely not alone. You have the whole Beyond Blue community to support you through your good and bad times. We are here for you.

Self-harm may be a coping mechanism you use to ease the negative thoughts. HOwever, there are so many more coping mechanisms that don't involve hurting yourself. HAve you ever tried to work on a coping plan? It is when you implement things you enjoy/help distract you when you feel negative thoughts coming through?

Stay safe and i am always here to chat.

[Sea_Turtle]

Hey Loula

I just thought I’d write on here as I have experienced self harm myself. I found that people around me find it confusing. I guess if you haven’t been there you just don’t know the feelings.

Reaching out to someone and starting to change and work on things in my life is what changed the pattern for me. Those feelings had less power, they weren’t as strong.

I don’t know your situation but I’m sending my best wishes

take care

[geoff]

Hello Loula, I did reply back to you, but it hasn't appeared, I'm sorry, and will have to careful in my wording, but please if you can get back to us whenever you're available.

Geoff.