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Shine Bright: I am SH-free for ____ Days
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 3 hours ago
...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. 
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.
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/]
Shine Bright: I am SH-free for ____ Days
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 3 hours ago
...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. 
ohhh the itching
by basilpilled
Last post
 12 hours ago
...See more TW!! stay safe!! 👽 i think i have a sorta twisted fascination for wanting to cut myself. i started wayyy back in early middle school and im an adult now., everytime i think im finally over it, i relapse. i can be months clean and suddenly something ticks me off and everything repeats itself. its so lame.. and its also tricky because sh is such a sensitive topic that i really dont talk to anyone about it. like yeah my friends see the scars but i dont expect them to. do anything about it. thats not their job. im not clean rn but ive been fighting really really hard not to make it worse.,. my brother left for college recently and he was the only one in my house i could really talk to, so its been super isolating. isolation is more alone time for me to have these gross fascinations that i just cant stop. anywayy…! apologies for the mindless rambling. hope everyone is doing their best 
to much damage and i need to stop tw
by ana26baka
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more uugghhh why do i do that. now i have major headache.  whenever i get overwhelmed, stressed, upset or or just feeling rly negative emotions towards myself i just h1t my h3ad many times. ive been sh-ing that way since i was like 10 and im currently 20. but ifc the older i get the stronger the hit. this time there was an immediate headache and today that headache is still present. (i took some medicine to help) i just wanna stop bc i know the damage can be really bad but im also autistic so when those feelings happen i get so overstimulated that the sh is also a stim, but its injuring so i really cant keep on.😣
idk how to say this, but i saved my friends life yesterday. (TRIGGER WARNING)
by Helloimjay
Last post
 Thursday
...See more TRIGGER WARNING  so, my friend broke her leg and is in a wheelchair, and she needed to go to the nurse. so, i pushed her down there. in the hallway, she showed me bandages-wrap things on her arms that were to keep her from picking her scabs and from self harming.  when we got there, probably only 5 seconds after she told me that, she told the nurse she was feeling sad, and that’s why she was there. i sat down and told her she can tell me anything, that i would always be there for her, and that i will never judge her. after around 15-20 mins of talking, we had to go back to class.  as i got up, she complemented my necklace, so i gave it to her. in the hallway, she told me something along the lines of that if i didn’t help her or say those things about her, she would have committed suicide that night.  i really don’t know how i can support her other than being there for her. can someone please help? i would really appreciate it❤️
I'm trying to hold on
by BlessedBird
Last post
 Thursday
...See more TW for self harm and self injurious behavior. Please be advised. I'm trying to hold on, trying not to hurt myself or seek out unhealthy and self-destructive coping skills, but sometimes it's hard. It's like I feel a deep, gnawing sense of emptiness. I am working through the emotion, rather than just pushing away what I'm feeling. I know where upsetting me right now, and I know what's going on in my life. My therapist may not really understand, but I do. I know that I want to cope with the pain in a way that's familiar to me, a way that feels comfortable to me (in the moment) because it's like I'm gaining a sense of control over the pain. But I know it leads to more pain in the long run. Much, much deeper pain than I'm even feeling now. I can mitigate this by directly acting on what's hurting me right now. Self-harm is a displacement, it's a way to act on the pain and do something about it that gives me a sense of control, safety, and comfort. But so would directly acting on it. In this case, I'm combatting the sense of helplessness that leads to self-harm by doing what I can to heal from the grief and heartbreak I'm facing in my life, processing the feelings and sense of injustice done to me, and speaking directly into the pain, instead of dodging it with coping skills that don't work. I will overcome this, but God, I need Your help. Because right now, I legitimately feel tempted to self-harm.
I cant do this😭 tw
by eylah
Last post
 Thursday
...See more Im really struggling right now, I might need surgery for a relapse injury and im struggling tonight i want to cry shut but i cant. Im trying not to relapse bc then I’ll need more surgery etc i cant do this i cant. I give up 😭😭😭
Relapsed
by JujuIsASadLilMan
Last post
 Thursday
...See more Its only been a month, amd im back in the pit, with those damned tiger stripes painting my arms. I feel a disturbing sense of pride when i look at them, like they should be badges of honor.
Sh, Alcohol, numb, ed
by blueunknown
Last post
 Thursday
...See more Hi. So I haven't been doing to good I thought I was getting better but turns out I was just distracting myself and ignoring the truth. My sh is back and it's not good, I suffer with eating (under eating/starving) I only eat 1000 calories or less and I can't eat anything without checking the calories (I'm 16, 17 in like 6 weeks) I know I need more calories for my body to have energy and stuff but I just can't, my body dysmorthia is getting really bad which makes it alot worse. I've recently gone back to drinking alcohol when things get way to much and when I feel like I've hit rock bottom and can't survive, but it's not good because if my mom finds out she's going to have a go at me and I can't deal with her, she doesn't understand and when I try to explain she either pushes it away or makes me feel worse or takes it the wrong way and then I'm the bad person. I can't deal with that and the pressure she puts on me. I'm supposed to set a good example for me younger brother but I've recently found out he's been self harming not badly but it's still sh and I feel like I've failed as a sister. I genuinely feel so broken, numb, empty and just done. What's the point in trying anymore when I always fall back into sh sooner or later family and friends won't be a good enough reason to stay.. I don't know what to do. In a good note I absolutely LOVE straykids (k-pop band) their music and skz code genuinely makes me so happy, it's saved my life many times. Wish I had the money to go to their concert lol ð¥²
trigger warning shamed
by stormieandpaws
Last post
 December 3rd
...See more not sure why this still bothering me so much. years ago was with mom at store and a lady we never met befor was in line ahead of us. mom did not know her but they started talking. then mom said to her this is my crazy daughter  who cuts herself. we felt  so much shame over it still do.  we been self harm free for few years  now,  but it a daily fight for us too. my mom shamed us a lot even as a child. she know my brothers were sexually and other ways abusing us too. but she turned away from us left us being abused. we know now this was due to her whole life being abused. but that not make it right but get that her normal too. so she also kelp saying you know when you hurt yourself your hurting me. family made fun of our self harm a lot. we just learned that things we did even before 2yr was self harm but no one at all ever tried to help us as a kid. we remember very young pulling handfuls of hair out and biting self even hitting head on wall. mom only punish us or would say wait until your dad get home. we use to sneak  moonshine out of icebox and then put water in the jar to make look like none was gone. but that numbed us. did that from like 3yr and up to around yr. same with cutting started at around 7yr. no one said a thing to us about the cuts. no one even asked about how we got hurt. mom would tell others we was accident  prom people believed her. we stopped all self harm around 12yrbut we started  back up when was expecting our son, thank due to we started having flashbacks hearing alters too. also my girls who both looked like me when i was child were around same ages that the worst of the sexual abuse happened at. but this time was way worst even to point had staples in my one leg. mom used me to get pity she when we went into pychward or had been in ER she call others. she say things like she went to ER again cut self really bad or she back in pychward. even when we was losing our 3 kids to government  she made it about her and seek pity from everyone. this did not help me at all as it put me in a self harm cycle. but when we moved  away from family  in may of 2017 the self harm got less and less. then stopped thinking mom shaming us  played buf role in the self harm. as a child  think it was us seeking to be seen and cared for too. but also to be saved and well just loved. mom abused us too but that even brings more shame and makes us sick what she did to us.  it one of the things been hard to talk about too. people think moms can not abuse their girls in way we talking about. think mom kinda feed our need to self harm as she got attention and pity from others. more we learn about what seen as self harm we see we did it from young age up. feel good to be self harm free at this time and we safe too.
The Void (TRIGGER WARNING)
by Helloimjay
Last post
 December 2nd
...See more my skin doesn’t fit right it’s not meant for the gender and thoughts i feel and am my bones aren’t built right not for the weight i carry on my back my screams don’t sound right they sound empty, and they get pulled into The Void  my words don’t feel right they feel hollow and worthless, like i don’t mean what i say i don’t feel right i don’t feel like the mood and the smile i wear don’t work on my friends  they all know me too well they see right through my hollowness my blankness im being pulled into The Void of empty space and lies i try to call out but my shouts mean nothing  just like my words like my truth like  me.
Tips to quit?
by TiredBoiTnT
Last post
 December 2nd
...See more Hey, I just need some tips on when I wanna self harm, it mainly happens during school or the middle of the night, and I just need tips to help me stop, i would greatly appreciate it, thank you!!!
Relapsed...
by Blueeygirl44
Last post
 November 29th
...See more 4/5 years clean and just did it again im so disappointed in myself idk what to do

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