On February 11th I wrote about self-mutilation and my struggle with picking at the skin around my nails. Previously I worked on making it a thing of the past by taking it one finger at a time. But almost two months ago I decided to quit cold turkey with the last three fingers that I still picked at.
Success!
Success!
I feel I can safely say that I no longer pick at my fingers. That survival mechanism from my past helped the child that I was live in the constant chaos of abuse. But it served me no good as an adult. And I am proud to say I no longer use it as relief from stress. I have much healthier habits at my disposal. Like...
Take a warm bath
Taking deep breaths
Leaving the stressful situation, if appropriate
Singing/humming a favorite song
Smiling
Talking about what is bothering me, out loud with someone I feel safe with
Playing video games, as a momentary escape
Cuddling and playing with my pets
Going to the beach
The list goes on and on. The key is for me to be kind to myself, doing my favorite things, as long as they do not harm me emotionally, mentally, or physically.
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1 comment:
Still doing good at not picking at my fingers!
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