Self-injury

Self-harm is an intentional act of harming oneself to relieve stress, to deal with feelings of anger or frustration, or to feel something.
According to S.A.F.E. Canada, an organization that provides education and support for people struggling with self-injury,
Self -abuse is not:
-a failed suicide attempt
-sign of a crazy person
-attention seeking or manipulative
What it is:
-coping behaviour
-expressing emotional pain in a physical way
-belief they deserve punishment
Helpful Tools:
-Running
-taking a cold shower
-squeezing ice
-journal writing
-dancing
-warm bath

For years I engaged in self abusive behaviours to cope with intense feelings of emotional pain resulting from childhood abuse and later, rape. Cutting my arms with jagged rocks or razor blades and seeing the blood gave me the release I desperately needed from the intense pressure I felt inside myself. Sometimes I bit my arms so hard, I wouldn't stop until I broke my skin, causing it to bleed. Only then could I breathe and allow myself to let go and relax.
Eventually I became completely free from this destructive habit, when God in His love, touched my life and turned it around. He healed the broken places in my soul. My faith has been an anchor that has allowed me to rise above the pain and fear that held a prisoner for so many years.