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How did you quit self injury? can you tell me some substitutes?

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Stopping self-injury generally involves more than finding substitutes because, in a way, for some it's chasing the feelings self-injury wrought during the 'best' sessions. You're not going to find something that replaces self-injury because self-injury itself is a distraction and behavior that mask thoughts and feelings. 

There are things you can do like writing through the desire to self-injure or talk to a friend, make artwork, call a hotline, call your therapist, etc. that are more active in getting in touch with what's going on in your head than the behaviors to 'subsititute' self-injury like snapping a rubber band or holding ice or anything else that is just a lesser form of SI.

To recover when you still have cravings for self-injury generally involves knowing you're going to be uncomfortable and I generally support ways that involve communication or creatiivty or being kind to yourself (self-care).

There's a list of distractions on the site here: http://self-injury.net/information-recovery/recovery/distractions

edit:

Heh, and I entirely missed the first question.

I quit or at least went into recovery (and am now able to admit I'm in recovery) after I was diagnosed with a serious psychiatric disorder that I felt less comfortable with than major depression. After over half a year off medication that was able to help me being a self-injurer had lost all it's glamour for me. It had been an important part of who I was and after I realized I didn't want to be mentally ill it somehow just felt less important. I'd let go of it. 

I'm now a woman who occasionally self-injures and who is in recovery. In my head, I'm not a self-injurer though I will use the term as shorthand.

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Ask a Question published by Anonymous (not verified) 4 months ago ()

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Leslie Young (not verified)

I used to to cut myself in

I used to to cut myself in order to get attention.  It a long time for me to realize the scars I were creating wasn't helping and I use http://onlineceucredit.com/edu/social-work-ceus-sm to help prevent me from cutting myself any more. I hope it helps you as it has helped me.

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