Help What do I do at extreme terrible thoughts

[UnnervedCompany]

So I was having extremely harsh thoughts regarding myself tonight and had no clue how to deal with them. I almost started poking at my eyes but cause of survival instincts I couldn't touch them without my eyes closing so now I have no clue what to do during whatever these situations are called. I want to start sh myself but I remember a post I made a while ago regarding sh where people said it's a short term solution and enables a long term harm.

 

[Life_and_Death]

i find dbt to be a good general therapy (despite what it says) maybe take a look into it?

Mindfulness Skills - Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Tools

Learn more about Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools.

dbt.tools

(if i were to make 1 complaint though, the 'C' in 'accept' that say 'comparisons' dont do it. your story is your story alone. it doesnt matter how someone else is handling whatever. that 1 little C pisses me off so much it makes me want to throw dbt in the garbage.... but its only 1 letter out of all of them.)

 

[-Link-]

Definitely would echo @Life_and_Death's suggestion in looking at DBT, specifically at techniques for managing distress (crisis survival strategies).

Dealing with terrible thoughts that make you want to self-harm, what can you do instead of self-harming.

That site "dbt.tools" looks pretty thorough and includes worksheets to practice with. What I would suggest is reading through its section on Distress Tolerance and taking note of any techniques that pique your interest. And then hit up Google or Reddit and search for resources on those specific techniques, looking for sources that expound even further on them and for stories or insights from people who have found them helpful.

In doing this (or any therapeutic approach), you're reconditioning your brain to think and feel differently than what it's used to. This takes a lot of time, energy, effort, and consistent practice. You'll probably feel like a failure at times or as if you're an idiot or as if it's a fruitless endeavour, but this is part of the process that everyone goes through and you persevere by being patient with yourself, keeping an open mind, and practicing whenever you can.

Part of this is even remembering to try coping techniques at all in the moment. Sometimes when those terrible thoughts hit, they can be so overwhelming that you completely forget about this. So if this is a barrier for you (it certainly is, for me!), then you could set little reminders for yourself -- maybe notes on your phone, or post-it notes, or readily apparent links to online resources that could help prompt you in the moment.

 

[softgirlluna]

I like the suggestions for DBT however it can be very daunting. My suggestion is TIPP which stands for Temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.

Basically if you are having bad thoughts or in crisis, dunk your head in the coldest water you can, or do some starjumps. I think it regulates your cortisol but I could be wrong. The ice water works amazing for me; its a factory reset almost.