What is self harm?
Harming oneself deliberately to overcome tough situations and distressing thoughts is called self harm.
Various forms of self harm are:
Burning oneself
Cutting oneself
Pulling your own hair
Overdosing
Self harm begins as a coping mechanism and gradually turns into a lethal habit.
It is really important to understand that self harm may only give you relief by suppressing your emotions temporarily. Because the reasons that lead you to self harming will still be there until you muster the courage to confront them in the right manner.
Who opts for self harm and why?
Anybody can harm themselves after being overwhelmed by a situation. But according to some studies younger people (aged 18 or below) are more prone to harming themselves in a distressing moment then older people.
Some factors that make you more at risk of harming yourself are:
you have a mental disorder
you are a suicide survivor
you have difficulties at home
you are being bullied
you have depression or anxiety
your self esteem is low
you have had major transitions like change of city or school
If you have something in common with the above mentioned list or you feel overwhelmed by situations and as a result feel like harming yourself log on to oladoc.com and find a psychiatrist in your town and visit them immediately.
How can you help yourself get over self harm?
Following are some coping mechanisms that work for people who harm themselves when they feel depressed, anxious or overwhelmed.
Talk to a loved one:
We understand how difficult it is to open up your heart to someone and let them in. But talking your heart out with a loved one, actually helps.
What you can do is start by saying that you feel anxious and overwhelmed due to something that happened and you feel like cutting or harming yourself. You can also ask them to accompany you over the phone or by coming over to your place until you feel better and safe again.
Get outside:
Your room or house may seem like the safest place on Earth to you, but getting outside the house is what your mind and body direly needs to heal and feel better.
You do not need to go outside on a daily basis to keep yourself from feeling depressed or overwhelmed.
What you need to do is give yourself a break from life and get a distraction from your usual environment. Just going for a walk to a nearby park or a tiny stroll on the streets of your neighbourhood every now and then will work like a charm as a coping mechanism for your big emotions.
Try meditation:
Several psychiatrists and mental health coaches recommend meditation as a strategy to cope with strong and distressing emotions.
Because through meditation one is able to create a happy place for themselves in their mind so it helps in taking down the urge to self harm and promotes feelings of tranquility within oneself.
Be creative:
When you can’t find the right words to express your feelings and emotions, what you need to do is experiment with art material and let your negative thoughts out.
Art is a great way of channelling negative thoughts and feelings into creating something.
And since being able to create gives you a sense of control and creating something keeps you engaged it is pretty helpful in letting the negative emotions pass by.
Get help:
Seek help when you need it. We cant emphasise enough on the fact that if you feel the need to consult a psychiatrist don’t hesitate. Your hesitation won’t take you anywhere. But if you take the first step towards your mental wellbeing by consulting a Psychiatrist in Islamabad brighter days will welcome you with open arms.
