[sassyone]

Just wondering... Saw T yesterday, after SI'ing twice this week (nothing serious - more superficial than anything.) I hadn't written about it because i don't see much point to it. i used to write it all out: feelings, methods, how i felt afterward, etc. Now i find it doesn't clarify anything for me, so i usually don't bother. T's opinion is that i should write out as much as i can. i realize it might help her understand what's happening when i do it, but aside from that i don't see a point to it. Opinions, anybody?

[nothing_inside]

I'm with you-haven't found much point to writing it out anymore. It kind of made me feel like I now have 2 reminders of what I just did; one on skin and one on paper. I'm not saying that writing doesn't work for everyone, just not me personally. But, if your T has asked you to write it, maybe he/she is trying to get more info regarding your SI; presuming your T is reading your responses? I'm interested in knowing if writing helps(or not)with others, too.

to be honest.. sometimes it helped me understand why i cut.. but it didnt help me stop cutting.

[Beautiful_Pain]

I have never found it helpful, either. My short stint with a T didn't bring it up at all...so I guess I wouldn't be well informed on this? IDK, just personally, I haven't found it helpful. =)

[bluebythewater]

Personally, writing does help me. It may not stop me completely, but for awhile it gives me something to keep my hands busy and distract me at the moment. It helps me to understand me a little better.. to be able and go back and read what I've written during a really bad time sometimes helps me to prevent another episode later. I guess everybody is different... but, yea. sometimes, it helps me

[(JD)]

Writing down all you can remember about the situation you were in when you decided to self harm is an important step in learning self care, imo. If you find you can't put things together, then perhaps your T would be able to.

Self harm is a coping mechanism (albeit a less than good one ) it's a symptom of something else....

if you can find out when you self harm, why you decide to self harm at that time and not others... then you can begin to work on what is causing you to feel so bad that you want to do this.

Maybe you really don't see any connnection... maybe a check off sheet with all the things to try and note would help you more? Did you smell a particular fragrance or odor? What were the songs on the stereo? Who was around you? Who should have been around you? What interactions did you have when you decided you "needed" to self harm? Was it a phone call? An argument? A feeling of lack of control with something? A feeling or thought of inadequacy?

Of course there are many more things you might be able to check. IMO, trying to stop self harm in and of itself does little good if the reasons are still in your life.

[sassyone]

Thanks everybody. I did write out one of the incidents - it was more involved than the first one, so i thought it was more important. Yes, she does read my journal and my SI journal - sometimes she can see things i can't (or don't want to?) Most of the time i'm pretty aware of what's going on when i do it - physically at least. Like when the body memories start. I've found there isn't much emotion behind it yet, though i think she sees more of a connection there than i do.
sometimes i just feel like i've done this so many times, told her about it, written it all out, and nothing changes. So i get a Why Bother attitude, i guess.
Anyway - thanks for the opinions. i'm trying to keep in mind that what seems so obvious to me is not always immediately clear to her. i just get impatient.