Recovery is possible (Self Harm)

Member Name: rachieb123

Product:	Self Harm
Date:	27/06/09 (7 review reads)
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I wanted to weigh in on this discussion because I consider myself 'recovered' and wanted to let people know that it is possible. I guess I will tell you a bit of my story and then how I managed to stop.

So i began self harming when I was around 14 due to bullying and deaths in the family. When I reached 15/16 is when I first sought help, I saw a school counsellor which I'm sad to say did little to help. The self harming continued on and off until I reached 17, when it came back with a vengence. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and I became incredibly depressed and suicidal. I ended up being admitted to a young peoples inpatient ward, which I feel was the big turning point for me. I was lucky because I was admitted to a private hospital, The Priory; my place was funded by the NHS due to the lack of inpatient adolescent facilities in my area.

Whilst inpatient I received some excellent Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and a slightly newer group therapy program called Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. DBT was developed to treat patients with borderling personality disorder, however it has been found useful for patients struggling with suicidality and self harming. By identifying the big triggers and the cycles which led up to self harming, as well as my suicidal thoughts, it became easier to change the cycle. I am horribly aware that what I am writing may seem very cliche, but it's really worked for me. I think that by breaking down the process it is much less overwhelming. When I used to try to stop self harming, it would seem like this big impossible task because I literally couldn't cope without it, but once you learn to break it down it becomes more managable.

Since I began university I have only self harmed once or twice in my first year and I have been able to put myself back on track. I haven't self harmed now for my entire second year plus the summer holidays.

I have left out a lot of the more personal parts of my story, so I hope that this doesn't read as too cold and unfeeling. If anyone wants to chat I am happy to respond to messages.

Thanks for reading, I will post some links to websites below.

Info on DBT:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_behavior _therapy

http://priory.com/dbt.htm

Info on CBT:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/cognitive-behavioural-thera py/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Summary: My experience in stopping self harm.