Getting harder to fight urges

As much as I hate that I pull my hair out, it feels good, it relaxes me and I miss it! And it's only been 11 days. This will get easier, right?

Hi Rio,

Yep it should get easier. Some days are going to be really hard to get through without doing it - but you can!

Take care and PM me anytime okay?

Thanks, Canders. I hope I can do it - I don't remember it being this hard last time I tried quitting. But I'm certainly going to try!

((((((((((((( Rio ))))))))))))
You have a very positive attitude towards it, so that will make it easier.
It is hard to quit anytime, but it is the right thing to do, I wish I could get up the guts to even attempt to quit.
So you are way ahead of alot of people, and you are a very strong person, keep it up!
-Megan-

Rio, do you have something to do instead? Both, something to do with your hands that will keep them busy, and a way to deal with your feelings. I think both of those would be essential. Wearing gloves might also help - can't remember if I have suggested that to you before or not, or if it was someone else.

Oh, and you said that one of the hardest things to give up is that it relaxes you. Would you want to try some of these ideas:

http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/RelaxationTape/ http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/resou...ling/relax.asp
Guided relaxation exercises in audio files.

http://relaxation.com/relaxationexercises.htm
http://www.ucop.edu/humres/eap/relaxationrespone.html
Relaxation practice instructions.

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/musclerelaxation.html
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/pmr.htm
Progressive Muscle Relaxation.

http://www.nancyjnapier.com/
Book and weekly online guided meditations.

http://www.healthjourneys.com/
Guided imagery and other resources.

http://www.meditainment.com/
Guided meditations (at least one free, and others on specific subjects with membership).

http://www.enhancedhealing.com/
Relaxation music (low-cost) and articles.

http://www.futurehealth.org/stresscn.htm
Stress management and relaxation resources and links – products and free articles.

http://imt.net/~randolfi/StressLinks.html
Links for stress management.

(((((damajdancer ))))
Thanks. It's hard, but I'm hoping I can at least just manage a bit longer than a month, which is the longest I've managed to quit before. I hope you can try and quit someday as well, good luck!

I do try and keep my hands busy, but I have a habit of resting my head on my hand when I'm reading or studying, which I'm going to have to try and stop because my hands are obviously way too close to my hair then. But holding my ring or an eraser does help sometimes. I can't wear gloves in school, but it might work at home, thanks for the suggestion! As for dealing with my feelings - if I'm thinking thoughts I don't like I usually just try and think of something else to get them out my head...not sure if that's a good idea or not. Thanks for all the website links, I'll look through those!

If you just try to think of something else, then you aren't going to deal with those feelings and they will keep coming back. You need to find an appropriate way to express and acknowledge your feelings. A friend you can talk to, a counselor or therapist, ... Sometimes your feelings mean that you need to change something in your life. But you need to feel them and have them validated. Also, if you had a professional (doctor, therapist, etc.) or even a parent write a note for the school about there being a medical or therapeutic reason for you to wear gloves, would that make a difference? I have known at least two girls who wore gloves at school so that they wouldn't pull hair out. It seems like school is likely to be one of the places where it will be most likely to be a problem.

Rap

Post deleted by kimmydawn

That's true, but talking about them's hard - I'm not used to it. Usually I'm ok, though, it's just when I get a lot of bad thoughts in my head at once that it can get overwhelming (hope that makes sense).

I know this sounds shallow, but if I did wear gloves to school I'd be worried about what the other pupils would say...I don't really feel like I fit in there anyway, and that would just make me stand out even more. Thanks anyway, though.