What do you do to cope?
Between 1 and every 12 young people (children under age 10 included) self harm as a way to cope with every day. Between the ages of 12 to 20 about 81% of people have drank alcohol and out of that 81% a little less than half (37%) use it as a coping mechanism. 53% of people who use recreationally, prescription, or over the counter drugs are addicted and use them as a way to cope. To cope means to handle a situation, an actually definition is: "to have the capacity to deal with." That does not always mean successfully, more so than not people cope in a negative manner.
Many people do not know how to cope in a successful and positive way. Well I have list of ways to keep yourself from self destruction.
1. Call a friend or two and talk to them about anything – the weather, politics, the news, old times, new recipes, etc. Distract yourself, and enjoy the company.
2. Watch a movie or two, or three, or however many it takes till you get past the urge to self destructin. Promise yourself that you will watch movies until you feel safe again.
3. Write about your feelings in your journal. Write a poem out about your feelings.
4. Scrub the house (or your room) from top to bottom. Distracting yourself with tasks, paying close attention to details can give you a different focus for the energy you are feeling.
5. Get out the hottest jar of salsa and add jalapeño peppers or red chili peppers, and dig in. It might burn your mouth or make your eyes water, but it won't scar or cause actual harm.
6. Paint or draw pictures about what you are feeling. Paint/draw what you want to do to yourself, and why. And then paint/draw yourself overcoming it and not.
7. Play with your pet. They can sense when you are upset and can calm you down.
8. Take a walk. Exercise. The feeling of exercise can be a good pain.
9. Plant a garden. This can be helpful later too. It gives you something beautiful to look at and appreciate.
10. Take a shower. You can cry in the shower and let all emotion rinse down the drain.
11. Draw on yourself. With red marker, this takes the place of blood.
12. Drink a glass of ice water.
13. Hit a pillow over and over until you feel better or until you are tired out.
14. Listen to music. Soft music. Or loud music. You can scream your angry out or cry quietly.
15. Read your favorite book. Or just read.
16. Watch something funny. Comedy can allow sad emotions to fade away.
17. Play online games. These are time consuming and can get your mind off things.
18. Work on something that take a lot of attention. Webpages, projects, books, ect.
19. Sleep. Just shut down and sleep. When you wake you should feel better.
20. Go to your safe place. Or play with something that makes you feel safe.
21. Snuggle under your favorite blanket and think about good memories.
22. Think of people that you love and have been there for you. Maybe even write them a letter of appreciation. (You don't have to give it to them unless you want too.)
23. Play an instrument, or sing along to your favorite song.
24. Visualize yourself doing something you love. Or being on vacation. This can bring great thoughts.
25. Eat a healthy snack. Drink some hot tea. (Things that don't have caffeine.) Eat some saltine crackers. Try and eat them slow.
26. Paint on yourself with nail polish, it feels like it but doesn't go any damage.
27. You can got to fataltotheflesh.com
28. The butterfly project. Draw a butterfly on where ever you cute and name it after some on you care about and it you cute, at all the butterfly dies. You can have multiple butterflies but if you cut even one they all die.
That is 27 different and safe way to do things without self harming. Try them. Self-harming isn't the only way to make you feel better. And it normally doesn't. It does for a few seconds and then later you regret it. Try some of these. They can help you. It doesn't hurt to try.
Many people do not know how to cope in a successful and positive way. Well I have list of ways to keep yourself from self destruction.
1. Call a friend or two and talk to them about anything – the weather, politics, the news, old times, new recipes, etc. Distract yourself, and enjoy the company.
2. Watch a movie or two, or three, or however many it takes till you get past the urge to self destructin. Promise yourself that you will watch movies until you feel safe again.
3. Write about your feelings in your journal. Write a poem out about your feelings.
4. Scrub the house (or your room) from top to bottom. Distracting yourself with tasks, paying close attention to details can give you a different focus for the energy you are feeling.
5. Get out the hottest jar of salsa and add jalapeño peppers or red chili peppers, and dig in. It might burn your mouth or make your eyes water, but it won't scar or cause actual harm.
6. Paint or draw pictures about what you are feeling. Paint/draw what you want to do to yourself, and why. And then paint/draw yourself overcoming it and not.
7. Play with your pet. They can sense when you are upset and can calm you down.
8. Take a walk. Exercise. The feeling of exercise can be a good pain.
9. Plant a garden. This can be helpful later too. It gives you something beautiful to look at and appreciate.
10. Take a shower. You can cry in the shower and let all emotion rinse down the drain.
11. Draw on yourself. With red marker, this takes the place of blood.
12. Drink a glass of ice water.
13. Hit a pillow over and over until you feel better or until you are tired out.
14. Listen to music. Soft music. Or loud music. You can scream your angry out or cry quietly.
15. Read your favorite book. Or just read.
16. Watch something funny. Comedy can allow sad emotions to fade away.
17. Play online games. These are time consuming and can get your mind off things.
18. Work on something that take a lot of attention. Webpages, projects, books, ect.
19. Sleep. Just shut down and sleep. When you wake you should feel better.
20. Go to your safe place. Or play with something that makes you feel safe.
21. Snuggle under your favorite blanket and think about good memories.
22. Think of people that you love and have been there for you. Maybe even write them a letter of appreciation. (You don't have to give it to them unless you want too.)
23. Play an instrument, or sing along to your favorite song.
24. Visualize yourself doing something you love. Or being on vacation. This can bring great thoughts.
25. Eat a healthy snack. Drink some hot tea. (Things that don't have caffeine.) Eat some saltine crackers. Try and eat them slow.
26. Paint on yourself with nail polish, it feels like it but doesn't go any damage.
27. You can got to fataltotheflesh.com
28. The butterfly project. Draw a butterfly on where ever you cute and name it after some on you care about and it you cute, at all the butterfly dies. You can have multiple butterflies but if you cut even one they all die.
That is 27 different and safe way to do things without self harming. Try them. Self-harming isn't the only way to make you feel better. And it normally doesn't. It does for a few seconds and then later you regret it. Try some of these. They can help you. It doesn't hurt to try.