We discuss all questions submitted to us as a group to respond as quickly as possible and to provide what we consider to be the best possible answer given the information we have been provided.  If we do not answer your question to your satisfaction please re-submit with clarification if necessary and we will be happy to re-evaluate our answers. Everyone is afforded anononymity unless specifically asked to be identified.  Thank you for your interest in learning more about self injury.  Please stay safe.

Q.  What are some of the things you know have been done by self-injurers when physical abuse no longer seems to comfort them?

A.  Self-injury is a very unhealthy and addictive coping skill.  When a person limits themselves to one and only one coping skill they will find it gets old and eventually stops having the same affect.  This is like the argument of "soft" drugs leading to "harder" drugs or more use of the "soft" drug.  Self-injurers must recognize the addictive nature and possible fatal consequences of continuing to use it as a coping skill.  We must abstain altogether from self-injury and recognize that there are many healthy coping skills we can learn instead of relying on "old faithful".  We encourage you to look at the coping skills page and add a number of healthy alternatives to self-injury as it sounds like your coping skill is no longer working.  Please don't give up.  Many of us have been where you are now.  

Q.  I've used self-injury in the past and have become so stressed lately that I'm considering using it again.  What do I do given the fact that to reach out for help means disclosure for me?

A.  It's hard not to remember how affective self-injury can be when it's served its purpose in the past.  However, please recognize that you have used alternatives to self-injury to stay safe for as long as your last self-injurious time.  Rely on those now, engage new healthy coping skills and seek out professional help.  If disclosure of "self-injury" is the main issue, perhaps verbalizing the need to "identify my stress and learn healthy coping skills" will work.