Many people gain emotional release by physically harming themselves but if this continues on a long term basis then complications can occur. Consulting a therapist can help you to identify why you are self-harming and will at the same time provide you with a mix of coping mechanisms that will deal with your emotional pain in a much more positive way.
No matter the reason for your self-harm; depression, stress, feeling inadequate, self-loathing, these and many other feelings can be identified and strategies put in place to reduce the intensity of the feelings and therefore the need to experience physical pain. They may provide you with alternative ways of reacting when your feelings are intense. Snapping a rubber band against your skin, marking your skin with a safe method such as a pen; all of these actions can be substituted for the ones used before such as cutting. They will eventually have the same effect but without the physical harm being committed.
Self-esteem exercises may be brought into play along with relaxation, meditations, creative ways of expressing yourself and other ways of assisting you to manage your feelings. With these in place you will be able to deal with any triggers without giving into the self-harm habit. Your therapist may also recommend a kind of cognitive behavioural therapy called DBT. It will help you to pay attention to your thoughts and manage them along with the associated emotions. By communicating the way you feel more effectively, the compulsion to self-harm should reduce.
Group therapy may also be introduced as spending time with others who are feeling the same can be an effective way or negating self-harming actions. Relaxation, hypnosis and even antidepressants may be offered but much will depend upon your personal circumstances and whether there is an underlying form of depression.
If you would like us to put you in touch with a counsellor that can help you to deal with your self-harm, fill in the form below. We will identify a practitioner that is suitable for you and who will be able to assist.
