| I’m not suicidal, but I’m a senior in high school, and I’ve been having issues on and off with self harm since 8th grade. I thought that I was getting better for a while because most of junior year I was fine but I guess I wasn’t, because it started again. Not really bad, not as bad as it could be definitely. Sometimes I wonder if I really have mental health problems or if I just want attention and am making it all up, because nothing is really wrong in my life. I don’t feel like I can talk to my parents, because I’m headed far away for college soon and I don’t want them to tell me I can’t go, and I don’t want them to be sad. And I just don’t feel comfortable bringing this up with them. I don’t have any religious leaders to talk to, and I don’t trust the people at school because I’ve never met our counselor, if we even have one, and the teachers are required to report these types of things. I also don’t want to make a big deal out of myself or of this. I think I want to talk to someone, because I don’t think I actually want to be hurting myself. I just don’t know who.
CONSIDER THIS:
- Harming yourself can make you feel concerned and worried for your own well-being. You are strong for genuinely trying to find a way to stop this negative behavior and for enduring this cruel issue alone.
- It’s true that sometimes the people around you must do something to provide you help. If they do this, it is because they care about you. If you need to talk to someone you can head to the Teen Central website and click the Help tab to call one of the hotlines or a textline.
- Knowledge is power. If you can figure out why you harm yourself you may be able to find a way to stop doing it. On the Teen Central website you can click the Learn tab then Self Injury, Depression or other topics to learn more. Under the Tools tab you can find plenty of downloadable resources to help you deal with your problems.
- Self harm is a serious issue which can lead to suicide if it becomes worse. You are NOT to blame in any way for it. Maybe you harm yourself because you feel like your life lacks meaning, you were abused in the past or something else you can’t identify is bothering you. Remember that no matter what it is NOT your fault.
- Sometimes people harm themselves because they feel it’s unsafe to express their feelings to others, so they lash out at themselves. You can try expressing yourself in a healthy way by doing creative activities like drawing, painting, coloring in a coloring book, creative writing or playing a musical instrument.
- Being more spiritual can help you accept what you can’t change, gain meaning in your everyday life and believe in a higher power. Prayer, meditation and yoga can help you have self-control, focus and peace of mind among other benefits. You can attend church services to become more involved. On the Teen Central websites click the Learn tab then Spirituality to read about it.
- Be positive by repeating positive affirmations to yourself on a daily basis. Write your thoughts in a daily journal to release tension. You may also write down what you’re grateful for each day.
- Be brave enough to be yourself. You can spend time with positive friends who genuinely care about you as a person. Do activities you enjoy by maybe joining a sports team or just listen to some music in your free time.
- Always having something to look forward to will help you continue to be hopeful for the future and keep you from spiralling out of control. This may be a movie you’ve been wanting to see or a book you’ve been reading.
- Volunteering can help you put your focus and energy on something positive. You can also gain meaning and a sense of purpose. You can volunteer for a cause you care about. If you can’t think of anything you can still gain a positive mindset and possibly a new perspective from helping others. Some ideas include tutoring or mentoring children, helping out at a pet shelter or planting a native garden to provide a habitat for hummingbirds, butterflies or others. You can also foster or adopt a pet from a pet shelter to provide them the real home they deserve.
- Being responsible can teach you to take care of yourself in a healthy way, put your focus on more important things and help you gain control of your life. Responsibilities you may want to incorporate into your life on a regular basis include getting a part-time job, taking care of a pet or doing chores around the house.
- Doing small actions each day to help yourself can lead to make significant progress in your daily life. You can commit to this by writing down your goals in a daily journal. Read inspirational quotes to motivate yourself to live the healthy, happy life that you deserve. Taking care of your body, mind and spirit will help you stay positive in the worst of times.
- No one deserves to harm themselves in any way. There’s always someone who will care genuinely about your issues. You just need to be patient and find people who are more like you.
HELP YOURSELF:
- In what ways can committing to having a positive attitude everyday change your life for the better?
- Can you make a list of the many reasons your life is important?
- How can replacing self harm with positive activities help you stay on a positive path?
- In what ways can spirituality help you love yourself more?
|
