39 Messages to People Who Self-Harm, From People Who’ve Been There

But try not to get trapped in a revolving door. If you’re still struggling to get over these feelings, it could be that an underlying mental health issue is contributing to your negative thinking patterns. If you haven’t already been assessed by a mental health professional, this should be your first step. If you are diagnosed with a mental disorder, this could be the starting point to finally making positive changes in your life. As a therapist, I often meet people when in crisis.

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But if you can, there are big benefits to talking about your experience. You could start by looking at our advice on how to tell someone about your drinking or drug use. It’s your decision whether to tell someone about your lapse or relapse. Having a lapse or relapse is not the end of the road. This page may contain sensitive or adult content that’s not for everyone. To view it, please log in to confirm your age.By continuing, you also agree that use of this site constitutes acceptance of Reddit’s User Agreement and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy.

How to Stop Hating Yourself When You Have a Mental Health Relapse

• In this blog, we discuss how to react and handle a relapse….if it happens.
• It’s easy to think that by relapsing into self-harm, you’ve failed.
• The next time you feel like saying, “I hate myself,” try to think of a small way you can reframe that statement to be more manageable and specific.
• This pattern has been fairly predictable over the years, so yes, I still grieve, slip into depression, and become discouraged.

Here’s some direct advice to help you stop loathing yourself so much. To find a therapist, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory. It won’t come easily, but it will eventually be in your toolbox, preparing you for whatever else life puts in your path. Of course, self-compassion doesn’t happen overnight. But studies have shown that, much like reframing or heroin addiction meditation, self-compassion is a trainable skill.

What It Means and Doesn’t Mean To Take Responsibility For Your Relapse?

These could be childhood experiences with your parents, bullying from peers, or even the outcome of a bad relationship. It’s natural to want to protect the feelings of your loved ones. And for some people, talking about your lapse could risk your personal safety or your living situation. Whether or not you should return to treatment will depend on the severity of your lapse and the circumstances surrounding it. If the relapse consisted of a few hours or a few days, you may be able to veer back to your recovery what to do after a relapse path somewhat seamlessly. If you went on a multiple week-long bender, another round of treatment may be in order.

• It won’t come easily, but it will eventually be in your toolbox, preparing you for whatever else life puts in your path.
• If you live in the U.S., head over to the American Psychological Association’s therapist locator.
• But this makes the whole effort more difficult than it needs to be.
• Survival guilt is an unfortunate reality for many veterans, police officers, and those working in other fields where workplace trauma is a reality.
• Still, through committed action, it can be turned into self-love.

Traumatic Events

— stuck inside a brain that covets relief, any form of relief, and will do just about anything to get it. Because it’s certainly not the end of recovery. A relapse merely gives you a new starting place. Instead of viewing your slip as a step backward, think of it as a progression on your road to recovery.

When You Almost Relapse Into Self-Harm

Survival guilt is an unfortunate reality for many veterans, police officers, and those working in other fields where workplace trauma is a reality. A study of combat veterans found a powerful impact of war-related shame, moral injury, and thoughts of suicide (Schwartz and colleagues, 2022). I have no reason as to why I did not relapse into self-harm this past week. Personally, it seems easier to admit to a relapse into self-harm than it is to admit to almost relapsing into self-harm. This probably seems off to those who have not experienced it before, and that’s why we should discuss relapse and almost-relapse when it comes to self-harm. We are survivors, and we need to remember this.