How Do You Cope With Self Injury?
• Acknowledge the problem. Don’t pretend it isn’t a problem. Self-injury is very dangerous, and you should try to stop as soon as possible. One danger connected with self-injury is that it tends to become an addictive behavior, a habit that is difficult to break even when you want to stop. It’s best to put an end to it as early as possible. • Identify your methods. What type of self-harm do you inflict? • Cutting – involves cutting your body with a sharp object, such as earrings, knives, pins, needles, razor blades or even fingernails. • Picking at skin or re-opening wounds/scabs – is a type of self-harm characterised by the repeated urge to pick at one’s own skin. • Hitting – actually using an object to cause bruises. • Branding – burning your skin with a hot object, like an iron or a cigarette. • Self-strangulation – choking yourself with a scarf or rope. • Friction burning – rubbing your skin until burn-like marks appear; usually, an object like a pencil eraser is rubbed harshly on
