The coronavirus pandemic and widespread protests have brought on emotional and behavioral struggles for many, including self-harm. Self-harm is an unhealthy coping habit that can result in death. If you have started experiencing self-harm thoughts, it is important to speak to a therapist immediately and find coping habits that will not result in a fatal injury.
Acknowledge What Is Happening
You need to admit to yourself that you are experiencing overwhelmingly negative feelings before they get worse. If you feel like hurting yourself will make the pain go away, that is the first sign there is something wrong. Even though you have not committed any self-harming behaviors, simply thinking about it indicates that you need to talk to someone before you actually hurt yourself.
Distract Yourself From These Thoughts
Focusing your thoughts elsewhere can help you feel better in the moment. You could do healthy things like listen to music, take a walk, watch something funny on TV, and more. Reaching out to someone who can take your mind off of the unhealthy thoughts can be helpful, too. Whatever you do, do not use drugs or alcohol as a way to distract yourself from your feelings, as these substances may only make them worse. While distractions may not help you in the long-term, it should give you more time to address what you are feeling.
Identify Your Triggers
Ask yourself about what sorts of things led to the harmful thoughts. This can include questions to help you identify when you have these thoughts, whether or not you are triggered by people or stories of self-harm, realizing if you are holding back thoughts, and more. Notice if you have been neglecting responsibilities or habits, thinking that it does not matter. Having harmful thoughts does not require you to feel sad or withdrawn. Knowing you are experiencing these thoughts can mean you have time to come up with a plan to get better.
Acknowledge When You Are Experiencing Feelings of Self-Harm
You should tell yourself you are not a bad person for struggling with your mental health. Know that there are ways to manage these thoughts. It is important to know that self-harm is not the answer to coping with your feelings. There are people who are always willing to help you, like a therapist, a relative, or a friend. Feeling better is always a possibility with plenty of time to get into treatment for self-harm.
People think that self-harm will help take the pain in your life away. However, all it will do is bring more pain to your life, and it can lead to an unfortunate mistake. Self-harm is an instinctual reaction that some people have when they do not know what to do with the pain they are experiencing. Alta Loma can teach you how to channel that pain in a healthy way. At Alta Loma’s transformative treatment center, we can help you realize there is always another way to feel good again. We provide personalized treatment plans designed to get you on the right path. We have plenty to offer you, such as individualized therapy to address your psychiatric needs, therapeutic recreational activities, medication management, and more. We understand how overwhelming your feelings have been and we can help you learn to find happiness. Please call us today at (866) 457-3843 to learn more.