self harm

[miss_me]

hi, i had horrible day yesterday for various reasons. and i'm also really stressed out in uni and stuff. anyway i used to self harm and havent done so for about 5years. But i got very drunk yesterday and woke up this morning with cuts all over my arms and now i just feel cr*p and stupid and ashamed.

[kazza12345]

just treat it as a one off aberration, rather as if you were on a diet but ate a chocolate bar. Dont start thinking "well ive had one chocolate bar, i may as well have a cake" be proud that you stopped for five years, and just get straight back on the wagon. Have you ever used recover your life? good, supportive website, but sometimes can be triggering

[alijangra]

Alcohol is a bad thing when we feel low. It makes us vulnerable and act in a way we normally would not. Self harm was your way of coping and dealing with your emotions in the past, and you are obviously having difficulties dealing with your stress and emotions at present. Is there anybody you can talk to, who knew of your self harm in the past? It may be helpful to let someone know and do not keep it to yourself. Its understandable that you feel stupid and ashamed, but dont dwell on it. Many of us that have other kinds of compulsions will relapse during times of difficulty. Stay strong and believe in yourself, if you have left self harm behind you for the past 5 years you can do it again.

[wolf63]

As Kazza says treat this like a "one off". You have already overcome this problem, you broke the circle of destruction and you have achieved so much.

People see those who battle with any mental health problem as weak. However we are the strong ones. We face up to our thoughts and actions and try to overcome them.

You are strong. This is a minor blip. You will survive.

[Rubyrose]

I'd put it down to a one off aswell. People with problems like this often slip up now and then. But its not a set back.. look at it as a positive.. for a start you say this is the first time it has happened in 5yrs. Don't let the fear of it happening again, get to you. Control it, don't let it control you. Smokers often quit and don't smoke for years and then drunkly have a toke of a mates fag! Its a slip up.. not a set back! Focus on how far you have come.

[miss_me]

thanks, think your right. cant let myself think i'm back on a downward spiral from one mistake. esp as i was drunk. Thank you x

[Ward-Minter]

"Get a grip Therapy" is the way forward. Simplistic, yes, but when facing every imaginable probem there is only one way to look at it. That is "Deal with it, or don't" The choice is yours.

Good luck and I don't know what Uni you go to but every one has a great Welfare dept. to help with studenty issues.

[kovac]

If you consider it a bad day/one-off blip - thats good. But if you are going through a hard time, and are feeling particularly vulnerable - go and check out your student counselling service. You might feel cr*p, but you are NOT stupid, and you must NOT feel ashamed. Support is there if you need it.

[jno]

one lapse isn't the end of the world, any more than (say) having an accident after five years of safe driving means you're suddenly a bad driver. Things happen. To prevent repetition, it might be worth cutting down on the drink, though.