Any thoughts?

At this very point in time I am so extremely angered and hopeless that I feel I could break windows and stab people. I am EXTREMELY tempted to grab a knife and start hacking away at myself, like I've never been before. The feeling I get is one of veins throbbing in my wrists, my fingers literally and physically itching...and the only natural instinctive response I get is to cut it open...it feels like there is too much air in my veins and I need to let go of it now. How do you guys cope with such feelings? No I have nobody to talk to at the moment and I'm not seeing a psychologist, only a psychiatrist, and that's proving fruitless.

Help.

When my emotions feel out of control I sort of have this order of things I try to see what helps. The first thing I do is figure out if I am tired, hungry, dehydrated or something like that. I fix any of those with the appropriate response before I do anything else. I really can't get things in control if I don't eat or sleep properly.

The second thing I do is self-soothing. Walking, baths, hot tea, massage my own feet... anything that makes me feel calmer. Sometimes I will do some grooming- pluck my eyebrows or put on nice clothes, perfume, or makeup. Breathing techniques and mindfulness also help here.

If that doesn't help then I will try to find safer ways to vent my emotions. Holding on to ice cubes or going outside and throwing those ice cubes at the wall. It makes a very satisfying shattering sound and doesn't require any cleanup! Doing some writing in my journal or posting on here!

Then I move to being active and distracting myself mode. I clean the house or organize something. Any healthy distraction that you enjoy can fit here though- a sport, a video game, playing an instrument, or just listening to music (that isn't angry or sad) and dancing around the house. The activity helps produce endorphins and the distraction keeps my mind from dwelling on the negative thoughts.

If all else fails there is the 15 minute (or 5 or 10) technique. I set a timer and decide I am going to try to breath and not do anything harmful for the next 15 minutes no matter what. I just keep deciding that again and again until usually I get kind of bored and decide I would rather do something else. It is best to try as hard as you can not to think about self harm or obsess on you emotions during these few minutes. Take a meditation mind set towards those thoughts. If they cross your mind fine, but let them go instead of ruminating and elaborating on them.

Good Luck- It is very hard and takes a lot of work.

Very brave to be so open and honest Nachtchatten......&...just wow Popskid...awesome response ..this I will make a note of...thank you!**~~WO.olfsong~~**

Is therapy an option for you?

Thanks yet again Popskid. I followed some of your suggestions and it helped quite a lot.

Sannah I am still on my parents' medical aid so if I go see a therapist they will know about it, which I don't want. They will probably have no qualms about it but I'll be treated like a timebomb, which I don't want. It feels like everyone in my family have ways of coping with their issues and I'm the only one who can't, and that feeling of weakness makes me want to try to deal with stuff on my own. I know that doesn't make any sense but I'm pretty clueless at the moment as to whether or not I should see a therapist.

Many people "cope" with their issues in unhealthy ways like addictions or being abusive to others. Maybe you refuse to take the unhealthy route and this is why it appears that you aren't coping as well as the others? Coping in a healthy way involves therapy.