Self Help - Part VI in the Self Injury series

(Kieu) at busserv@u.washington.edu explaining your background and why you'd like to be on the list. It's intended to be a place to share experiences and get support while using DBT skills.

Bristol Crisis Service for Women Bristol Crisis Service for Women is the leading UK (and as far as I know, European) support organization for women who self-harm. They offer a confidential helpline, publications for self-harmers and for professionals, and other services. They're empathetic, dedicated and a valuable resource for women in the UK and Europe. Check out their Women and Self-Injury leaflet.

S.A.F.E. In 1984 Karen Conterio (then of Hartgrove) established a support group for self-injurers called SAFE (Self-Abuse Finally Ends). SAFE groups are not like 12-step groups or most self-help groups; they are short-term groups run by a professional facilitator. SAFE is dedicated to the proposition that underlying emotional conflict is the primary problem, not the self-injury. More information about SAFE can be obtained at 1-800-DONTCUT.

First-Aid Basics If you've already injured yourself and need to know how to care for the wounds, this list of first-aid basics might be helpful.

I stopped a few weeks ago, but I keep obsessing about hurting myself. Help? It's not uncommon for people to continue thinking obsessively about self-injury for a while after they've made the decision to stop. Hurting yourself has been a huge part of your life up until recently, and you're used to dwelling on it. You might think that you're supposed to be "cured" now and that all thoughts of SI should magically vanish from your head, so when you catch yourself thinking about that blade or lighter or whatever, you get angry and frustrated and shove the thought away. Foa and Wilson (1991) deal with intrusive thoughts by a combination of giving yourself permission to think about it and exposure/habituation techniques combined with ritual prevention. Exposure refers to repeatedly presenting someone with the situation about which they obsess, and habituation happens when, after much exposure without resulting to usual actions, the person gets used to the situation and it no longer distresses them.

To adapt these techniques, first make yourself safe. If you're in a mindset in which self-injury seems very very likely, it might be better to use distraction techniques to get past that place. Line up a support person whom you can call if you get overwhelmed by this technique. Try to tolerate it for as long as you can, even if you're uncomfortable.

First, designate

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