 Self-harm is a difficult part of mental illness to talk about because there is a lot of negative stigma that goes along with it Many individuals struggle with self-harm, but are unsure of how to cope with it or deal with it Since they are often insecure and uncomfortable talking about it. They seldom receive the answers and support they need We're here to help you end that stigma and to give you the advice and Resources you might need to go from self-harm to self-care Self-harm is defined as the deliberate and voluntary physical self-injury That is not life-threatening and is without any conscious suicidal intent While self-injury can be almost synonymous with self mutilation and other phrases The important part here is the intent Self-harm is often used as a coping mechanism to deal with physical mental disorders such as Anorexia nervosa, depression, borderline personality disorder, general anxiety disorder and more Physical pain is used to combat the overwhelming emotions building up in one's mind and to relieve the stress that cannot be easily soothed When a person has a physical injury There are obvious things we know to do to get rid of the pain For example, if you have a cut and are bleeding you were taught to apply pressure to stop the blood To put some bassetrissen on it and to cover it with a band-aid Unfortunately, mom and dad probably never taught you how to deal with your persistent Exitrential crisis and unbearable panic attacks Those who self-harm might feel lost And are not sure what to do when there's mental pain But they know how to deal with physical pain by dealing with the type of pain they're confident in dealing with They feel more in control for a while and feel they've dealt with the emotional pain Until it bubbles up again Self-harm is becoming an unfortunately more common way of relieving pain in young adults It's important to find other healthy coping methods to use instead The following methods have been tested and confirmed to work for many previous self-harmers If you're feeling an urge to harm try screaming Either into a pillow or in a place where no one will hear it and think you're in danger It really helps to take a deep breath and scream everything out It may seem silly or weird, but it will definitely help to take some of the stress away Try exercising jumping jacks running, etc Exercising has been known to release chemicals in the brain that make individuals generally happier So although it may seem hard, go outside for a brisk walk away from sharp objects while you cool down Pay close attention to the sensation of your feet on the ground and the wind on your face As well as noticing everything around you with intense observation Try squeezing ice. This sensation is similar to the sudden shock of pain that comes with self-injury It will also relieve feelings enough to clear your mind from wanting to self-harm Try drawing on body parts with red ink over where you want to injure Alternatively put stickers on where you want to injure The point is to turn skin into art that you wouldn't want to damage or Change your outlook on the visual stimulation of injury Try playing loud music and having a dance party Lock your door shut your windows and blast your favorite song and dance like crazy Just try to drown out the pain in the music and let out your stress through body movements Try cutting or ripping apart a piece of cloth or paper Try punching a pillow or a punching bag Throw a pillow against the floor or an empty wall Try cleaning the bathroom or kitchen, etc. Try stomping around in heavy shoes or jump around in them If you have a pet pet them Try taking a cold bath. This is similar to squeezing ice, but more intense This will definitely alert your senses and provide a very similar but healthy distraction Try watching your favorite movie or TV show This is similar to that of listening to your favorite song You want to draw on yourself in something you know you love and you know makes you happy If the physical methods don't work or you feel like you may self-harm soon, but aren't quite there yet Intrapersonal methods are used to train the mind to cope with these feelings before they escalate Focus on breathing exercises or meditation One individual shared their experience with meditation here with us Every single mental health professional I've been to or spoken to has always stressed in the importance of meditation For the longest time. I wasn't convinced Then I downloaded a guided meditation app on my phone on the recommendation of a friend And I found that it helped more than any other coping mechanism. I've ever tried People think the point in meditation is to clear your mind But in fact, that's literally quite impossible to do even the most trained Meditators can't truly clear their minds Meditation is used as a distraction to concentrate on something Intently and focus your body to feel everything by allowing yourself to feel it you subsequently relax It's an amazing coping mechanism And if you can have the sound of waves or a campfire crackling sound in your ears while doing it It's even more relaxing and distracting from your current mindset Try writing out your feelings. This works for some but also you must recognize if it doesn't work for you Sometimes writing causes people to relive past stresses instead of coping with current ones If you do want to try writing here are some ways to write out your feelings Keep a journal write on yourself Ask yourself questions Sometimes it's important to be a third-party voice to your brain and try to analyze things Think I feel this right now. Why do I feel this way? What brought this on? How can I avoid this coming on again? These are the true ways to be able to combat your mental illness and eventually overcome this horrid thoughts Make a list of all of your positive aspects Anything counts for this you can put down something as great as I love my eyes or I love the way I look in that one blue dress or I like that I can make babies smile or Even something like I like how dedicated I am to watching this one show for hours at a time on Netflix It may seem silly, but it'll be fun to add to over time And it'll be nice to look at when you're feeling horrible or bad about yourself Hobbies like playing an instrument baking knitting etc. If the smell of cupcakes brings you bliss Maybe you want to bake them when you're feeling down if part of your stress is food related You could make them for a neighbor a friend or family member Trust us. No one will ever complain or ask why you made them a yummy dessert List the many uses of a specific object Look at that brick lying in your backyard or that plastic bag lying on the floor or that flower in your front yard What could it be used for besides the obvious? This is a great coping mechanism because it gets the creative wheels in your brain turning and thinking outside the box Which takes a lot of concentration and focus It also helps you to view things from outside the norm which can be applied to your own insecurities Take photos Go to a local park and take pictures of the flowers the trees in the sky It's peaceful and you can have them to look at later Nature definitely helps relieve anxious and depressive thoughts Get involved in the community Do you love dogs, but can't own one because your landlord won't allow it? Go volunteer at a local animal shelter It will give your heart great joy to help out dogs and cats who need some extra love and can Rejuvenate your sense of purpose in life Reach out to a friend or family member to talk this is Essential a reason why a lot of people's self-harm is because they don't have any kind of support system Although it may seem scary to tell a close friend or family member. You can't go through this alone No one expects you to go through this alone and no one will blame you for asking for help We assure you any of your close friends or family members would 100% rather you reach out to them and confide in them which they'll totally feel honored by then have you get hurt If you're a self-harmer, we hope that these tips will help you in your journey Know that you are not alone that others experience the same things you're feeling and that there's no shame in asking for a little help and That's that. Thank you so much for watching our video. I'm Ashley You can follow me in some of my socials down below be sure to follow psych to go on any of these platforms Take care of yourself, and we'll see you in the next video