Self Harm Problems

This blog started as a list of problems self harmers face, now days it's advice for anyone who needs it, about anything they want to talk about. Messages sent from named blogs will not be published unless requested. TRIGGER WARNING.

[miseducatedmelanicmuse]

Please reblog, this is so important.

[notoriousthuggg]

I needed this

[amuseinherfeels]

Is this foreal?

[miseducatedmelanicmuse]

Yes it’s a real service. I do volunteer work for a rape crisis support service in my city and texting is one of the features we provide as well. But just to boost its credibility, I tried it myself:

[thatdiva]

reblog to save lives!

[espressokisses]

You can also text “Steve” to 741741 if you’re a young person of color. The website for more info is stevefund.org

My understanding is that it’s more multicultural and some folks feel more comfy with that in mind!

[miseducatedmelanicmuse]

^^^^^THIS

[nikator]

get help guys, please. if you’re hurting, don’t let that hurt consume you. seek help.

[politicalprof]

I never knew this. It’s spectacular.

[radioactive-egg-survivor]

THIS is what I was looking for a few weeks ago when I was in crisis; reblog to save a life!

[pop-punk-anakinz-deactivated202]

Yo if you’re a boy with mental illness, a boy with disabilities, a boy who is/was an abuse victim, a boy who has an ED, a boy with trauma, I need you to know that you are not a burden, that you don’t need to “harden up”, that you are very brave, and that you shouldn’t just have to “get over it”.

[justnick612-deactivated20210723]

*SLAMS THAT MOTHERFUCKING REBLOG BUTTON*

[celestial-midnight]

*Breaks the motherfucking reblog button*

[pop-punk-anakinz-deactivated202]

as OP… the notes on this make feel so happy!!! keep spreading the word, everyone! let boys know that they are strong.

[pastelcore-mlm]

As a boy with PTSD who often gets told to „get over it“…this is important!

[letsjustdieeveryone]

Boys with these issues: You are valid, take care of yourself

[thesigilwitch]

I was just about to spiral into a bad panic attack, and my boyfriend goes "Stick an ice cube in your mouth." I'm not really sure where he got the idea, and I kinda laughed at it because I didn't see how it would help, but he was insistent. So I did it.

And now I'm on my second cube, because it worked.

[thesigilwitch]

He explained his reasoning to me when he got home.

1. I would initially think "what the fuck" and be distracted from the anxiety. (Correct.)

2. The cold of the ice would shock my system, bringing me back to the physical world and reality, drawing my focus to the cold in my mouth, and keep my brain away from thinking "I'm panicking, I must be dying." (Correct.)

3. He assumed I hadn't drank much water today and wanted to keep me hydrated. (Triple correct.)

[pigeonwithaknife]

It also forced your mouth to make saliva!

When you go into fight or flight mode, non-crucial body functions stop working so you have more energy to do what you need to do to survive (oooor to spiral into a panic attack). By forcing yourself to make saliva it helps calm you down because since fight or flight is an all or nothing response, they can’t happen at the same time.

Learned that from my old therapist, who would use it with veterans with ptsd

[queer-papayas]

I’m doing this right now and its working????

[autumnsnuggling]

THIS! Do this!

Anxiety is an emotional thing BUT there are feedback systems in place in your body that pay attention to physical states as well, which is why you then experience raised heart rate and so on when anxious. Eliminate or confuse one feedback system? Reduce anxiety.

Go be free!

[starshein]

Listen up. There is literally an app that can help you avoid self harm and I don’t know why we aren’t talking about it.

Calm Harm can be tailored to your needs and will provide strategies to help you get past those crucial moments of wanting to harm.

It’s also totally FREE.

once again, it’s called CALM HARM

[ridiculouslyphotogenicsinosauru]

SIGNAL FUCKING BOOST

[saranghwa-deactivated20190606]

WHY WOULD YOU NOT REBLOG. IDGAF ABOUT YOUR BLOG THEME

[winwincity-deactivated20200412]

For anyone that needs this!

[cabinet-dude-deactivated2019091]

Please it’s gREAT.

[determined-mind-deactivated2025]

[girlwhorpsalot]

I needed this.

[self-harm-probs]

How do you stop??

Its different for everyone. A girl who messaged me on here once told me her biggest motivator was that she wanted to wear a sleeveless dress on her wedding day with pride. She kept that goal in her mind the whole time she was going through getting clean. Try to think of the reasons you want to quit, make a mental list, and each time you’re triggered try to keep it in mind. 

Not everyone can just stop all of a sudden, I couldn’t. Lessening the amount you do it would be a good first step, if you do it every day, try to only do it only other day for example. Start small and work your way up to stopping. Find alternatives that you could do instead, reading or writing, running or sports, having a hot bath or shower, or talking to someone if you can. 

There is also professional help that you can get, councillors that will guide you through recovery each step of the way, and I know that not everyone feels comfortable getting this help, and that’s okay too. 

Try to also keep in mind that this doesnt happen over night, recovery takes time, and people do relapse along the way, the main thing is to keep going, keep trying. You deserve this. 

[self-harm-probs]

I started cutting a few weeks ago and since then it has gotten much worse. At this point I do it for the pleasure and I don't want to stop. I recently made a deal with my romantic partner (she's nonbinary but still uses she pronouns). She has OCD and when she doesn't take her meds she picks at her skin so our deal is that for every cut, bruise or burn that I give myself she goes a day without meds and if she does any of that then I get to cut myself (I'm gonna continue with a heading "cutter")

"Cutter" The problem with this deal is that I'm afraid of what I might do instead or of some unforeseen thing that could go wrong. My question: do you think I should break of this deal before I hurt her improve do you think it will be good for both of us

Personally, I think agreements like these lead to secrets being kept. If you ever did relapse, which does happen and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, then you would want to keep this a secret from your partner to protect her. Likewise, she would do the same with you. You both need to be open with each other, and help each other through this. 

I completely understand the ideas behind this deal, I really do, but I am worried that it could lead to both of you being hurt, and lies being created to cover up what is happening. You need to work together, to talk things out, to make it though this together. 

I think this deal should be broken. If you want to do something like this, then maybe every time you cut, you have to clean the whole house, or something else you very much don’t want to do, but something that will not hurt either of you, something that will still allow you both to communicate with each other. 

As always, I am not a trained person in the mental health industry, so this is not professional advice. 

[self-harm-probs]

I'm about a month clean but i really want to relapse and at the same time I don't want to and I'm terrified about what will happen if i do. Any advice?

Remember the reasons you got clean. The reasons you stopped SHing in the first place. You have come so far, you have made it a whole month! I have every faith that you can go even further than that. 

This want to relapse part of you will go away as soon as you do it, and you will be left regretting what you did. And relapses happen, its okay that it happens. But you’ll end up beating yourself up about it regardless. 

[self-harm-probs]

How do I tell my parents that I am depressed and want to get help before its to late? It's way harder than it sounds and I can't do it, which frustrates myself even more than I already am.

Sometimes if I find it really hard to tell someone something, I text/email/write it down and let them know that way.My friend literally proposed to her boyfriend via text when he was sat next to her because she was too nervous to say it out loud! This really takes the pressure off you and gives you time to rewrite however much you want

 If you want to tell them in person then practice, rehearse what you want to say, how you want to say it, and make sure to try and cover the most important things even if you forget things on the actual day. Maybe ask them to not interupt you whilst you get it all out there, and to ask their questions at the end so you dont lose track

Telling your parents is a scary step, and it is so normal to feel this way. But knowing that you want to make this step, being willing to make this step, means youre halfway there already, and I am so proud of you for that!

[haleystudies-deactivated2017062]

This is a matter very close to my heart. I have bipolar I disorder and ADHD as a result of bipolar. There aren’t many big posts about studying with mental illnesses so I figured I would compile a huge list of tips and posts! I’m going to be making a video about this very soon. I hope for all of you struggling that this can help or at least remind you that mental health is more important than school sometimes. Take care of yourself in any way you can. lets get started…

Studying with Mental Illness

Take things slowly. Don’t be afraid to take a week doing one assignment. Making sure that you can focus on assignments can be draining so breaking them down day by day can truly help you. Make a task list with each portion of an assignment mapped out so that you can see exactly what you need to do. I know that i get overwhelmed very easily and seeing smaller things is less daunting then having a list full of HUGE things like research papers and midterms. Seeing it as “write paragraph one” or “review unit one vocab” makes everything less scary. 

Nothing has to be pretty. Notes don’t, papers don’t have to be perfect, study guides don’t need to be colorful and cute. What really matters is getting things done. My mom always tells me “even an F is better than a zero” which is so true. Turning things in late is not shameful because you are still turning it in. You still did it and that is something to be proud of. 

Study somewhere other than your room or your house. Make sure there are people there. Surrounding yourself with others will allow you to feel less isolated and sometimes more motivated to do things. You can’t take naps when you’re at a Panera or Starbucks either. People can be motivating, they can remind you that you are not alone, they can hold you accountable for what you have to do. Get out of your bed where you can sit and stare at the wall and go to a coffee shop or the library where other people are doing work. This always helps me get on track. 

Study in short bursts. Don’t wear yourself out with work. Find out when your concentration peaks and go with that. I usually work the best around 2pm so I have to make sure that I have eaten and showered before then so that I can capture that time to focus on my studies. 

Don’t beat yourself up. Studying just takes a lot more effort other days when depression hits you the worst. There might be days when you can barely get yourself out of bed but know that you do have the ability to succeed and that depression just has to suck sometimes. 

Get yourself out of bed. Shower. Change your clothes. Read a single page. Look at only one thing you have to do so you aren’t overwhelmed. That is something to be proud of and know that I am proud of what you did!

Study in a routine style. Let yourself have a routine that you can fall into. Try pomodoros or study games, Create a routine that you can stick to

If you don’t feel like doing anything… work for 5 minutes. You may feel more motivated or up, or you will at least be able to say that you have done something. 

HYDRATE. I’m really awful at drinking a lot of water, but it helps so much with both anxiety and depression. Water keeps you moving and awake. SO drink that H2O guys

Helpful Links

Staying Sane on Campus

Tips to stay mentally and emotionally healthy while you study

How to school when mentally Ill

A student’s guide to coping with PTSD

Study and Mental Health 

Back to School with Mental Illness

Depression

Studying with Depression

Depression study tips

Studying through Depression

6 Tips To Get Motivated When You’re Feeling Depressed

Five Ways To Deal With Depression During Exams

Anxiety

Anxiety in Grad school

Dealing with Stress and Anxiety

Studying with Anxiety

Get Ready for School If You Suffer From Anxiety

Living & Studying with Anxiety

Tips on studying with Anxiety

Exams & Anxiety

ADHD

How to succeed with ADHD

10 Study tips for ADHD students

ADHD Studyblr masterpost

Apps for ADHD Students

I couldn’t find any resources about OCD, BPD, PTSD (found one jk), or bipolar for that fact so keep on the lookout for any additions to this post if I find anything more! If all else fails, just google things. That always helps me. Message me personally if you have any questions about my struggles or need some specific advice! I love you all so much and I am so proud of you!! xx Haley

UPDATE: I’ve added quite a few new links!!! 

[self-harm-probs]

Hi, I kind of need some advice. So anyways, I've harmed myself before, But I stopped because I knew it wasn't good for my own health. But I started doing it again recently and I'm trying to stop. But the great thing is, I'm in a very small home-school, And every year we throw this huge pool party at my friends house with another home-school in the area. I have scars on my stomach and thighs, And the only bathing suit I have is a bikini that shows everything. What should I do?

Is it possible for you to buy another swim suit? Or wear a shirt and shorts with it for protection from the sun? Or if you get periods blame it on that?

[spinningrims]

i’m seeing a lot of people reblogging suicide hotlines and this is just a reminder that this is a suicide help line that works like a text-based instant messenger for people who may need to talk to someone but have trouble/are uncomfortable making phone calls

[groovian-whovian]

Never don’t reblog this. There are so many people who have such bad anxiety about phone calls. This can save so many lives

[self-harm-probs]

Am I supposed to write here If I have a problem? Im new on tumblr, sry. xo

You can write to me for whatever you need. Some people just come to vent, others to share their stories, and some to ask for help, there is no set way you have to interact with me. 

Some have also been asking if it is okay to use the IM messenger, Yes it is! (but I don’t always get notified for new messages so I might take longer to respond) 

[self-harm-probs]

Okay, well I'm new here, but From what I've seen you are really great. So I've been self-harming for about 2 years now, and i recently decided that I want to stop. Its just really hard though because my cousin does it too and she actually encourages it. A lot of my friends know and are supporting my choice to quit, and my boyfriend-ish guy is being really helpful with my recovery. I'm currently about a month clean.

That’s amazing! I’m proud of you for making this choice and beginning to get better! Your friends and the maybe boyfriend are there for you, don’t be afraid to lean on them if you need to, they got your back. Even if you call them and don’t talk, I find it helps to have someone there sometimes. 

I hate to say this, but maybe keeping some distance from your cousin is also needed for a little while, just until you feel more stable. Once you feel up to it try talking to her, if she sees that someone close to her is recovering she might be able to do the same. 

[self-harm-probs]

How do you stop??

Its different for everyone. A girl who messaged me on here once told me her biggest motivator was that she wanted to wear a sleeveless dress on her wedding day with pride. She kept that goal in her mind the whole time she was going through getting clean. Try to think of the reasons you want to quit, make a mental list, and each time you’re triggered try to keep it in mind. 

Not everyone can just stop all of a sudden, I couldn’t. Lessening the amount you do it would be a good first step, if you do it every day, try to only do it only other day for example. Start small and work your way up to stopping. Find alternatives that you could do instead, reading or writing, running or sports, having a hot bath or shower, or talking to someone if you can. 

There is also professional help that you can get, councillors that will guide you through recovery each step of the way, and I know that not everyone feels comfortable getting this help, and that’s okay too. 

Try to also keep in mind that this doesnt happen over night, recovery takes time, and people do relapse along the way, the main thing is to keep going, keep trying. You deserve this. 

[self-harm-probs]

Wanted to say that your blog made me realize I need to stop cutting. I've been doing it when I'm stressed (dysphoric especially). I thought it was ok as long as I didn't seriously hurt myself. But your posts showed me it will only get worse.

I’m glad it helped. Cutting does leave an impact on you, and it will carry though into the rest of your life in some way, keep your head up, you can do this. 

[self-harm-probs]

Hey! I love your blog very much and it's helped me in the last but now I have a big problem. I've been clean for about 7 days (which is big for me) and I'm finding it hard to cope. My scars itch and it's really uncomfortable cause it's hot and I have to wear a jumper. Do you have any advice?

For the scars it would help if you could get some cream for them, even a simple moistruizer, and that should stop them from itching as bad. To stop them rubbing on your jumper you could also used plasters so its not in constant contact with the skin. 

7 days is amazing! Honestly well done! Keep thinking about why youre getting clean, what you want to get out of it, how much easier your life will be when you dont have to constantly hide from people. You got this.