Crisis Self-harm Help & Harm Reduction
(Try use as a last resort)

There are distractions and alternatives which are used as ‘harm reduction’ strategies. It’s called harm reduction because you are still technically harming yourself and associating how your feeling to a negative action but you are reducing the harm and damage you cause.

So use as last resort to stop you harming yourself more seriously.

1st Tactic – DELAY

Try to delay the harm for as long as possible, try setting yourself a timer and don’t do it until the timer is up and then repeat. The urge to hurt yourself might be strong now but that won’t always be the case. Choose a length of time which (could be 30 seconds) which you want to delay it. Then do it again… the urge will eventually pass. You could set a longer timer or try something to distract yourself in the meantime like going for a walk, tidying up or watching an episode of your latest favourite show. Literally anything to distract.

If you are really struggling, look for another coping mechanism while waiting for your timer, find a breathing exercise or keep reading for another idea on what to do.

Harm Reduction

Cold shower/sink full of cold water

Lowering your body temperature can shock your body and give you an intense feeling similar to what you feel when you self-harm. I personally used to fill a cold sink up and put my face in it and occasionally shout into it.

Hold ice against where you want to hurt yourself

Not pleasant and you’ll have to stop sooner than you think, but the point is that it gives you a sense that you have hurt yourself but have actually caused minimal damage to yourself.

Flick elastic bands against your wrists

Again, this gives you the feeling of having harmed yourself without the damage.

Eat a peppercorn or a chili

Another science one for you, it’s not for everyone but it can be uncomfortable without causing any lasting damage but also can overwhelm one sense so much (your taste) that you satisfy the sensation and distract yourself dealing with the aftermath.

Use red pen or paint

Use a red pen or paint to mark where you want to hurt yourself – allowing your body to look, think and feel like you have almost tricking yourself into satisfying your impulse.

Opposite action

This is a skill that you need to take your time with. By choosing to do the exact opposite of what your negative emotions may be telling you to do, it is hard but kinder to yourself distracts you and gives you a positive feeling. An example of what a colleague does to avoid harming herself is to sit, moisturise and massage every finger slowly focusing intently on it to force your brain onto a different course of action. Or taking your makeup off and then doing it again, something nice to do for yourself that distracts you and is positive instead of damaging.