Is complete recovery always an obtainable goal? I wouldn't have thought so when it comes to addiction...

To be honest i think our expectations can be rather unfair on ourselves - sometimes our lives are full of ongoing issues that are not easily resolvable and can't always be dealt with through the most positive means.

I'd be happy if i simply self harmed less and used other means to supplement my coping. Less of a dependency is better than full dependency. Eventually when you find something that really works for you, you might find that you're better able to wean yourself off of self harm near enough completely (though of course it may be unrealistic to rule out any one off future incidences).

Keep your attention on what's driving you to do this in the first place - the self harm is simply an indicator that something else needs dealing with. Don't give it too much power or control over you - it's merely a factor, not the sole cause.

I hope you feel better soon.