Helping You: 'Everything But' Rule

[Wedge]

This thread relates only to the specific web page in the title above, which is found on the FirstSigns website at:

http://www.firstsigns.org.uk/help/but.html

This thread is for people to discuss this single page. If you have general comments about the LifeSIGNS website, you can post a new thread in the 'FirstSigns' forum.

[Jules]

Great to hear it helped you - thank you for the feedback and well done for making a positive choice

[-Rachel-]

That's a really good idea! Personally I don't really have much of a ritual, so it wouldn't work for me, but it is a good technique!

I have also heard of a technique whereby you don't tell yourself that you aren't going to SH. Basically, instead of saying to yourself "I won't SH today", say "At the moment I am choosing not to SH". The idea is that when you tell yourself that something won't happen, and it is something that you want to happen, your body goes into a mini-panic about it. Whereas if you use the second phrase, the same biological/neurological changes don't occur, as it is not definate, and only relates to the present, as opposed to the rest of the day, or forever.

I don't know if this is the kind of technique that could help people in conjunction with the "everything but" rule, but it is something that I find helpful.

[Jules]

Hi -Rachel-

Thank you for your comments and insight, which are very much the thoughts of us here. We strongly believe in 'choice' here at FirstSigns - we never tell people what to do and we never tell them they should 'stop' self-injuring. We encourage people to seek health and happiness and to make positive choices for themselves, in the hope that they can choose to 'move away' from self-injury.

You are quite right, if you tell yourself you aren't going to SI, then you are removing your own choices and putting pressure on yourself. But but saying 'I choose not to SI today' you are empowered and in control of your own decisions.

[Wedge]

"I choose to seek health and happiness this morning."

[Lindsay]

Something that helps me as well as this is when i get everything out bandaging my arm like i have si-ed when I havn't if i leave it on my arm for a while it sort of tricks me into thinking i have done it when i havnt

like everythings ready and ive done what i usually do after but the actual doing it part is missed out