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Things no one tells you about Self-Harm: Trigger Warning
by Jenna
Last post
 November 14th
...See more Everyone mentions the same things when they talk about self-harm. This is what I wish someone told me about self-harm before I fell into its tight gripping claws. 1) It's not only the cuts/bruises/burns/scratches that you have to hide. You have to hide the bloodied tissues, the used band-aids, the band-aid wrapper, and the thing you used to harm. 2) When you shower the dried blood drips out of your band-aid and down your body creating little dark red, almost brown, colored streams. It scares you at first because you think it's opened again. 3) It becomes an addiction. It becomes the only thing that helps. 4) It eventually doesn't help anymore but you keep doing it in the hope it will. 5) Your body will scar and at first, you will like it but eventually, you get sick looking at them. 6) On a bad day, you run out of space. 7) Your band-aids will soak through your jeans or top after a shower and make an obvious square or rectangle patch. 8) They start to smell bad if not looked after. 9) You constantly think about them. 10) Your sleep will hurt and every move you make will too when they are fresh. You act as you like it. You don't. 11) People will never take it seriously enough. 12) They itch like mad whilst they heal. 13) You eventually get frustrated if it has no effect. 14) You don't cry when you do it. You feel nothing. Not. A. Thing. 15) It's so so so hard to escape it. 16) It isn't beautiful. It isn't a fairy tale. It won't help you find love. It is a monster that ruins lives. Please think of all these things before you hurt yourself. You don't want to. I sound like a hypocrite because I do but trust me, you don't want to fall down the dark hole that I and many other people are already in. Put down your fist, blade, lighter, cut your nail short, and get help.
Shine Bright: I am SH-free for ____ Days
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 November 6th
...See more Well done! 💪✨  (Number) days free from self-harm is a significant accomplishment.  Please take a moment to acknowledge your strength and resilience and celebrate with us. Here are a few points to reflect on and celebrate:  * What helped you stay strong these past few days? Was it a specific coping mechanism, a supportive person, or a personal mantra? Share your tips to inspire others. * What positive changes have you noticed since being SH-free? Maybe you have more energy, better sleep, or a renewed sense of hope. Reflect on the progress you've made. * What are you looking forward to in the future? Use this milestone as a springboard for setting new goals or focusing on activities you enjoy. * Write a message to your future self: What words of encouragement would you tell yourself for the days ahead? Start sharing with us. We believe in you. 
SHA #4: Calming Affirmations for Difficult Moments
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 March 22nd
...See more Hello all,  Group Support organizing the month of Self-Harm Awareness Week,  the focus will be on discussing general awareness, and support, and celebrating milestones and small steps. This will be an opportunity for all of us to come together and extend our support and compassion to all who struggling with self-harm.  Life throws its curveballs, and sometimes we feel like we're drowning. You might be feeling overwhelmed and lost, and in those moments, the urge to self-harm might arise as a way to cope.   When you find yourself in those moments, having a set of affirmations can help ground you and bring a sense of calm. Affirmations are powerful tools that can shift your mindset and provide comfort in difficult times. Here are some affirmations you can repeat to yourself when you feel overwhelmed or tempted to harm yourself.  * "This feeling is temporary. I will get through this."  * "I am worthy of love and support. I will reach out for help." You deserve to feel safe and cared for.  * "I am strong and capable. I have faced challenges before, and I can face this one too." You are more resilient than you think. * "My pain does not define me. I am more than my struggles." Pain is a part of life, but it doesn't have to control your existence. You are a complex and worthy person. * "I will focus on what I can control, my breath, my thoughts, and my actions."  * "There is help available. I will find a healthy way to cope." Self-harm is not the answer. There are healthier ways to deal with difficult emotions.  * "I am worthy of healing. I will take steps towards feeling better today." Start small, with one positive step towards self-care. * "I deserve to be treated with kindness and compassion, especially by myself. I choose to be gentle with myself in times of distress." * "I am not alone in this. Some people care about me and want to support me through this struggle." * "My worth is not defined by my struggles or mistakes. I am inherently valuable just as I am." * "I have the power to choose how I respond to this situation. I choose to respond with love and understanding towards myself." * "I acknowledge my pain, but I also acknowledge my capacity for healing and growth. I am worthy of healing." * "I forgive myself for any past mistakes or shortcomings. I choose to let go of self-blame and embrace self-compassion." Please know that affirmations are most effective when repeated regularly and with conviction. Find the affirmations that resonate with you the most and make them a part of your daily self-care routine. If you are struggling with self-harm, please reach out for support. You are not alone, and there is hope for healing. We are all here with you to listen to and support you.  If you have any affirmation that you use, please share it with us here. Also, let's discuss and share our experiences with affirmations during overwhelming moments. All thoughts are welcomed.  ------------------------- Other posts in the SHA series:  SHA #3: Role of Acceptance & Validation [https://www.7cups.com/forum/selfharm/General_2451/SHA3RoleofAcceptanceValidation_325495/] SHA #2: "Safe Plan" for people with self-harm issue [https://www.7cups.com/forum/selfharm/InformationandResources_1079/SHA2SafePlanforpeoplewithselfharmissue_323303/] SHA #1: Do you think self-harm defines you?  [https://www.7cups.com/forum/selfharm/General_2451/SHA1Doyouthinkselfharmdefinesyou_324983/]
recovery
by fairyfroggler5754
Last post
 September 19th
...See more hi. Its been a hard time getting better after my mom found out that I had been hurting myself, but i’m nearly 8 months clean and its so bizarre how far i’ve come. I’ve certainly had my ups and down but it gets better, sometimes my mom wasn’t all that supportive and I understand why but she really helped sometimes. And my friends too, they are all really amazing. I’m glad that my friends had given so many words of encouragement, they said they were proud of me so I began feeling proud of myself. It feels pretty rewarding being almost 8 months clean. Congrats to me and everyone else, we’ve all come so far!! And even if you’re one week clean at the moment just know that you CAN get better. Don’t give up, you don’t know how amazing you can be.
Recovery streak
by Spacebunny051
Last post
 August 8th
...See more Hi! I'm new here but I wanted to share my success here to keep the negative thoughts away:)) After almost 6 years of struggling with self harm I am finally 2 months clean! It's going to get tough again once I move back to college but I think I'm in a place now where I feel safe enough to make an appointment with my university's counseling center:)) Anyways that's all, hopefully I can keep my streak going
four months!! 🦀🦀
by pw123
Last post
 November 4th, 2023
...See more i dont usually post, and im not active on this site anymore except for stopping by to say hi on occasion — but i just wanted to celebrate this somewhere :) theres no one i can really tell this to, nowhere i can post this, so.. its going here. im four months clean!! my best so far. i think about it sometimes — only when i have a really stressful day and im upset/overwhelmed. but im not depressed anymore, and i have other methods in place, so its not something i fully consider. plus, ive gotten rid of my tools (i actually made an art piece out of them, kinda). its not something i see myself ever going back to, really. i just dont consider it a real option anymore. like i deserve better than that. so after a year and a half of sh, im done :) i know four months might seem like too short a time to say that. but before that i was gradually adding more time in between, like a month here and a month there; and so much has happened in these four months to really solidify my decision to quit. anyways, idk if anyone really reads these, but thats my victory. please know that its possible to recover. i never thought it was. i thought i “knew” i could never get better, but im here and im okay. you are not hopeless or a lost cause or any of those things your brain tells you. you’ll survive this, even though it seems impossible, even if you have to survive it many times, youre worth it and you can. <3 (idk if im allowed to post a link from tumblr so i wont - but to write love on her arms (twloha)’s tumblr page is full of really sweet reminders for people struggling with depression and sh. scrolling through it is one of those kinda comforting things for me that i go to in moments where im distressed. thats all~)
2 years!
by Jessis
Last post
 April 24th, 2023
...See more I’m a little over two years clean, and don’t really have anyone else to share it with!
Relapse after 5 years clean…
by Saeka
Last post
 March 9th, 2023
...See more After 5 years clean… relapsed again in December 2021.With deeper scars this time. Now I’m just living in the moment. Trying to stay clean until January… and February after that… March… I’m trying to keep myself busy all the time. My weird coping mechanism. Any tips?
managed to not sh in month almost
by Doctor280
Last post
 January 26th, 2023
...See more i managed to reach 1 whole month clean and im really proud !! i’ve been dealing with some issues recently but i’m trying :)
Clean streak
by UndertaleEnjoyerAndy
Last post
 January 26th, 2023
...See more I was clean for almost a week, kinda involuntarily but hey I was clean at least. Then I said screw it and relapsed in a different area and I just broke a two day streak. I'm honestly just so tired of fighting this, I know that normally I would want to fight and recover, but I just want to lay down and take it at this point. Four years in and I'm exhausted. Sorry if this was depressing.
One week!
by darfj
Last post
 January 25th, 2023
...See more I'm one week clean!!! It's been a bit tough but i did it and i'm proud of myself and it really feels good to be able to celebrate my progress:) stay strong guys it's worth it 100% i promise
personal win :D
by pw123
Last post
 December 24th, 2022
...See more im five days clean! and, i did something nice for myself! ive been wanting arm warmers to cover my scars and i decided to just make them myself :) yes it's 1 am and they took only a couple mins and low effort to make, but im so proud of myself for making them. it's been a while since i put effort into something and longer since i did something creative just for myself. so very much a win in my books :) honestly, im not doing well. every day is so hard to get through, and most of the time im numb or sad. therapy has been making me feel worse sometimes, and theres all the family, school, holiday, etc stuff going on. sometimes this kind of personal win makes me think, you don't deserve that, or if you're well enough to do that, you've been fine this whole time. but i just feel happy for myself right now, and since im alone in that irl, i wanted to share :) also i ate somewhat regularly (2 meals + snack) today and i treated myself recently to an adventure time hoodie :D
Update
by Lovelymango1
Last post
 December 7th, 2022
...See more Today I have reached my 3 month streak for being clean form self-harm and if I can do it everyone here can. Don’t give up, I believe in everyone, you can do this!
5 days clean :)
by pw123
Last post
 November 8th, 2022
...See more might be a small achievement but i'm happy. the fact that i'm proud of myself is an achievement of its own, i think. i used to feel worse about staying clean - i would think to myself, "you must not really be struggling then. you're just being dramatic about everything." or "you don't deserve to recover/go this long without it." i haven't had those thoughts lately. i feel proud of myself instead. and i don't hate myself for relapsing when i do. i don't think i'll be able to recover like this though. given that i have no friends or support, all the reasons i started and keep going, traumatic experiences i never really dealt with.. but i'm doing my best. some things that help me when i'm having thoughts are chatting with someone like at trevor project or certain listeners here; making myself as comfy as possible with blankets and cozy clothes and holding my favorite stuffed animal while watching a comfort show (that way not only do i feel safe and distracted but i'm too comfy to get up and get my sh tool lol); something else from my cards (i have four index cards with sh alternatives, i don't use them often anymore but it's like distractions, self-care, outlets, and sense. so for example sense has bullet points like splashing water on my face while outlets would be like listening to sad music or writing); or a combination of all. thanks for reading :)
2 years and a couple of months
by nothingjustnothing
Last post
 January 12th, 2022
...See more 😊 I didn't think that I'll be able to do that but... yeah all what lefts are scars

Hello, and welcome to the Self-Harm Recovery Subcommunity! It’s great to have you here, and we are proud of you for making the first brave step in reaching out for support. This is our supportive, safe and friendly environment, and we are glad to have you here 😃. Feel free to direct any questions to the appropriate leader of our community, which you can find at the bottom of the about section. ⭐️

🌟 Feel free to say hello and introduce yourself! Or if you want to just browse for now that is okay too! Take your time. We have several topics in our community such as the goals and success corner, recovery zone, support area and much more! Please use the relevant topic where appropriate so we can keep our community organised🌟

🌟 Please make sure to read through our community guidelines and browse our resources available 🌟

🌟 To join our community leadership team feel free to look through Here for the requirements and apply to join our team 🌟

🌟 Again, thank you for joining our community, and we look forward to seeing your progress on your journey! If you have any questions, please reach out to the relevant leader 😊

Community Guidelines

These guidelines are inspired by some communities around 7 cups! This is so we can adapt our little family to accommodate as many different life experiences and situations as possible. We recognize we cannot adapt to every circumstantial rule. However, we have outlined some of the common guidelines needed for our community. ❤️

✪ Please do not share any graphic images or descriptions of self-harm tools!

✪ Please do not mention the name of any tools used for self-harm in any area of the self-harm recovery community.

✪ Names of methods of self-harm are allowed to be shared in the group support room, but where possible please try to exchange a method name for the phrase "self-harm".

✪ When mentioning methods of self-harm or potentially triggering details of another topic in the forums, please put a trigger warning at the top of the post so people are able to click away from the post if they would like to. Additionally, please try to find an appropriate place within our forums to make your post. Certain areas are reserved for specific content, so please consider this when making your post.

✪ Pro-self-harm content will not be tolerated!

✪ Please be respectful to everyone, members and listeners alike.

✪ Remember, everyone's experiences are different. Please do not undermine or invalidate anyone's situation because it is not what most would consider "normal". We are a diverse community and have people from many backgrounds, so please always be respectful!

✪ General kindness, courtesy, and etiquette are heavily appreciated!

Read the 7 Cups Guidelines