tw// mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, self harm, anxiety, ...

i feel like not enough people know good coping mechanisms/alternatives to self harm, and a lot of these helped me whenever i struggled with suicidal thoughts

so i hope this thread is helpful

- ice cubes

if you put an ice cube in your mouth the cold is going to be a bit painful but not too much and it's also going to distract you pull you back to reality

it also helps a lot with anxiety and panic attacks

- cold showers/cold water

that's pretty similar to the ice cube thing but the shower is more intense

you could also run cold water over just your arms, it helped me with thoughts of self harm

- fidget toys/stress balls

personally i think these are good for anxiety, especially the ones where you have to put a lot of force into (i.e. hard stress balls,..)

but to each their own, so try it out

- rubber bands

you can snap rubber bands or hair ties against your wrist, it hurts but it's not too dangerous

don't do it too much tho, in that case it's better to do it in different places

you can keep some on your wrist for when you go somewhere

- scribbling in notebooks

when i couldn't bring up the energy to write down my thoughts but i was still overwhelmed i always scribbled in my notebook until i couldn't do it anymore

it helped me release my feelings without having to write

you can use a red pen if you want

- drawing on your body

i used to do this too when feeling overwhelmed

drawing on your arm or leg is distracting and personally i think feeling the pen on your skin is comforting

if you have no idea what to draw, flowers are great

- anything

this may sound obvious but i used to completely ignore every activity that made me feel at ease when it would've helped me

so if you're struggling try doing things that make you a bit happy or relax and distract you (i.e. drawing, watching a movie, playing a game,..)

i hope these were even just slighty helpful

if you're feeling overwhelmed or numb or just bad in general please try these before you do anything bad, there's no reason not to

and if you have anything to add, please do so!!

take care of yourself, i love you <3

- running

someone else suggested putting on loud music and running until you exhaust yourself!

it's a great idea and it's distracting, so try it out, but be careful not to run until you pass out

thanky you for suggesting things

- sport

similarly you could try taking sports lessons or just learn some techniques from youtube, etc

that way you have a way to exhaust your body when you're feeling overwhelmed

try martial arts, boxing, and similar things

- warmth

when i feel very anxious i get very scared, often i need comfort

taking a hot shower, cuddling up in blankets (and watching a movie,..), or eating something warm like soup is a great way to calm down and feel like you're not alone

kinda like a hug

- play an instrument

it might not work for everyone but if you're feeling overwhelmed maybe expressing yourself through playing an instrument

it's either distracting or similar to writing down your feelings

- music

this is the way i deal with almost everything, i got through a depressive episode last year by literally just listeing to music non-stop

it helped me feel comforted when i had suicidal thoughts

so choose which music is best for you (i.e. loud, sad, happy,..)

- random activities (see "anything" above)

i thought i would make a list for things you could try out that are distracting

- dye your hair
- sing
- go skateboarding or biking
- origami
- paint your nails (i do that often)
- watch comedy specials
- make tee or coffee
- cook/bake

- clean up/organize your room
- read
- knit, sew, or make a bracelet
- go somewhere (the cinema, the zoo,.. although that's hard right now but remember it for later)

these might not be helpful for most of you but you can give it a try

- eat

i know not everyone can so this but it's still an alternative worth trying

whether you eat something sweet or warm for comfort when anxious

or something very spicy or very cold/hot as an alternative to sh

or generally just eat to have something to do

- pets

i have a dog and when i feel suicidal i always play with him or just pet him

it makes me feel like there's something in this world that's not painful and it makes me feel more at ease

you can try lying on a blanket outside in the sun with you pet

- meditate

this doesn't work for everyone but meditating can be incredibly calming

there are some great meditation videos on youtube, you can also try apps such as headspace

this may work for anxiety and sh urges (if calming and relaxing activities work for you)

- write things down

i mentioned this earlier and decided to add it

try writing down what you feel, it's a peacful way of expressing your thoughts and emotions

get it all out, it doesn't have to make sense

you can also rip up the page at the end of you want to