I’ve been trying to do what you asked and not self harm, but I feel like it’s negatively interfering with other aspects of my life. I self harm for a reason. It works. It serves a purpose. It centers me. It helps me focus. When I’m freaking out and not handling the things I need to handle it helps me get over that and finally deal with things. When my brain is running around in circles panicking and screaming it’s like a slap across the face that gets me to snap out of it.

All this being kind towards myself crap is all fine and good, but if my life is going up in flames because I’m taking away a coping mechanism that served a purpose without replacing it, then what’s the point? It's easy for you to ask me to not self harm when you're not the one who has to deal with the consequences. I have a real life to maintain outside of our one hour a week.