12/02/2024
Self harm presents in many forms. Understanding the cycle and disrupting it is the first step toward building a new practice toward healing.
🌿 Understanding the Self-Harm Cycle 🌿
Self-harm usually starts as a way to cope with overwhelming emotional pain or distress. The cycle begins with emotional pain, which leads to emotional overload. In an attempt to escape this intense feeling, panic sets in, and self-harm may seem like a way to temporarily feel some relief. However, this relief is short-lived, and once it fades, feelings of shame or grief often follow, bringing more emotional pain and pulling the person back into the cycle.
💡 Understanding this cycle—emotional suffering ➡️ emotional overload ➡️ panic ➡️ self-harm ➡️ temporary relief ➡️ shame or grief—can be helpful for both those experiencing it and those supporting them. It sheds light on why self-harm occurs and why it can become a pattern, despite the pain it causes.
For those who self-harm, knowing how this cycle works is an important step in breaking free and finding healthier ways to cope. For those supporting loved ones, it provides a framework for offering understanding and compassion without judgment.
🌟 With the right support and new coping strategies, it’s possible to break the cycle and heal.
PDF link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lw87Q-7U9YG18i26vKoXlGnWfM4_Jydp/view?usp=sharing
