[Victoria'smom]

What happens when you refuse to sign a safety contract because if you do harm yourself it would be impulsively? I feel like signing one would make me a liar but don't want to end up in the hospital.

I don't think a contract makes any difference, but it seems to calm them down some. I would sign one just to settle things, but it wouldn't mean much to me.

[granite1]

same with me it wouldn't mean much to me . i just don't tell my T when i SI. it is a personal thing for me .a way of coping that i want control of .so i just don't tell her and then i don't have to deal with contracts of anything and it seems a don't tell don't ask kind of thing has been adopted by my T. it has been a while since i have SI but if i do i don't want it to be a huge thing with her .i feel i should focus on reasons i am doing it instead of the actual act. that is hard enough

[NowhereUSA]

Psht. I sign those suckers left and right and they don't mean a thing to me. I'm not a liar and at the same time, it's going to take more than a piece of paper.

[BlessedRhiannon]

I guess, for me, it would depend on the relationship I have with the T. With my current T, I'd probably talk about it with her. I'd talk about why I might self-harm and why I'm hesitant to sign the contract and what we can do instead to keep me safe. But, I know my T well enough to know that she'd be open to such a conversation and wouldn't have a knee-jerk reaction.

With previous T's or with a T I didn't know well yet, I'd probably just sign to make them feel better and get them to leave me alone, and then try to put some kind of "real" plan in place to help me if I did decide to self-harm...or just not tell them if I did.

[pachyderm]

Originally Posted by licketysplit

I don't think a contract makes any difference, but it seems to calm them down some.

Patient and caregiver reversal of roles?

[Victoria'smom]

I plan on going in and saying " I don't wanna fill out a safety plan or go to the hospital but I'm inpulsive and I want to do x but at least Y is no longer happening. "

[Ididitmyway]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

I plan on going in and saying " I don't wanna fill out a safety plan or go to the hospital but I'm inpulsive and I want to do x but at least Y is no longer happening. "

It's the best thing to do. If that's how you feel then that's what you say to the therapist. They should be ok with your refusal to sign contract. If they worry about liability, they could just document your refusal in their records to cover their butt.

[Victoria'smom]

last time I had to sign one I told him this is only to CYA.

[Willowleaf]

I refused and refused to promise as I know myself and a piece of paper saying I wouldn't would actively encourage me to prove I still could! Luckily I managed to explain this and she never asked again.

[roimata]

I always refuse to sign them and she doesn't do anything. Just says, "ok, call me blah blah" which I don't do anyway so whether or not she asks me to do anything it makes little difference

[ScarletPimpernel]

My T had me fill one out, but she told me not to sign. She said it's pointless and it doesn't work. But she just wanted me to fill it out so I had a crisis plan.

We have a plan for my safety, but it isn't something I signed.