Many people experience a self-harm relapse during their healing journey. While it can feel like a failure or major setback, relapses are a normal part of recovery. Recovery from self-harm can be a long and complex process, and it’s often filled with ups and downs. The good news is that no matter how your journey is going, there is always help, and recovery is possible.
Read on to learn more about what a self-harm relapse is, what steps to take immediately, and how to move forward.
Healing from self-harm is possible. Call us at (801) 438-3185 to begin today.
What Is a Self-Harm Relapse?
A self-harm relapse is when an individual who has previously stopped self-harming behaviors reverts back to these actions. Self-harm is often a coping mechanism for the hardships of life. It can feel like a moment of control, which can temporarily alleviate the overwhelming emotions. But ultimately, these behaviors can do more harm than good. Some common types of self-harm include:
- Cutting
- Burning
- Compulsive exercise
- Skin carving, Scratching
- Hair pulling
- Nail biting
- Hitting
- Pinching
- Choking
When something bad happens, sometimes people will return to self-harming behaviors. It’s important to understand that a self-harm elapse doesn’t mean someone failed during recovery. Usually, a self-harm relapse like this will happen due to these other factors:
- Stressful life events. Major changes or stressors such as relationship issues, academic pressure, or job-related stress.
- Emotional distress. Intense feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety, or loneliness.
- Trauma and abuse. Re-experiencing past trauma or abuse or facing new traumatic events.
- Substance abuse. Use of alcohol or drugs can lower inhibitions and increase the likelihood of self-harming behavior.
- Social isolation. Feeling disconnected from friends, family, or support networks.
Self-Harm Relapse Signs
When a loved one experiences a self-harm relapse, these are some signs to watch for:
- Withdrawal from social activities and relationships
- Changes in mood and behavior
- Signs of self-harm, such as scars or injuries
- Unusual clothing choices, like long sleeves in hot weather
- Odd explanations for injuries
- Increased isolation
- Bloody tissues in the trash cans
Approaching someone you may suspect has relapsed should be done carefully in order to help them get help. Talking to someone about a potential relapse shouldn’t be done in a threatening and accusatory way. Instead, focus on empathy, understanding, and having their best interest in mind.
Immediate Steps to Take After a Relapse
If you or a loved one is experiencing a self-harm relapse, it’s important to ensure everyone’s physical safety right away. That might include getting necessary medical attention and removing anything that may be used for harm. After any immediate dangers are mitigated, it’s important to reach out to a trusted person in your life and professionals.
Short-Term Recovery Steps
Following a relapse, there are certain steps someone can take to begin the next steps in recovery. If your loved one experienced a self-harm relapse, consider encouraging them to take these steps and to seek out professional help.
Practice Self-Compassion
If you have experienced a self-harm relapse yourself, remember that this does not make you a failure. Practice self-compassion and remember that recovery is a journey that’s only rarely linear. Many people experience a relapse during their recovery process. Here are some ways you could practice self-compassion:
- Forgive yourself out loud. Take time and say that you forgive yourself and do so out loud to help it sink in.
- Celebrate successes. Think about all the progress you’ve made already during recovery. Remind yourself of your successes and celebrate them instead of dwelling on the self-harm relapse.
- Accept relapse as a step to recovery. Ultimately, recovering from a relapse can help you reach full recovery. Learning to accept that it’s a part of the process is an important step.
Identify and Manage Triggers
Triggers are often the cause of a relapse, so learning to identify them and develop strategies to manage them can help you progress toward recovery. Try to examine the days leading up to the self-harm relapse and consider what could have been the cause of overwhelming emotions.
Once you have an idea of what could be triggering you, discuss management strategies with professionals and trusted individuals. There are ways to cope with triggers in a healthy way, and these professionals can help you learn how to do so.
Build a Support Network
Another common cause of a self-harm relapse is increased isolation. Building out a strong support network and reaching out to them can help you avoid this. On the road to recovery, it’s important to have both professional and personal relationships that can help support you. These people can be friends, family, doctors, therapists, and recovery center professionals.
The greatest chance of successful recovery is made possible with these relationships. They can help you when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed. On top of that, they may have helpful ideas to support your recovery journey.
Sometimes it’s hard to reach out to these people when you’re feeling low. That can lead to isolation. In addition, too often people push away their support network in a moment of crisis. While it may feel hard or make you feel vulnerable, reaching out in those moments can be a great way to help yourself and get the help you need.
It’s okay to accept you may not be strong enough to overcome on your own. Nearly everyone needs support to heal from self-harm.
Long-Term Recovery Strategies
These short-term strategies can help you reorient yourself on the path to recovery. From there, it’s important to begin focusing on long-term support. To progress toward long-term recovery, it’s important to learn new healthy coping mechanisms and adopt them into daily life. That way when life gets hard, you have a way to manage while keeping yourself safe.
Make sure strategies are personalized and tailored in a way that will enable you to be successful. Not everyone works the same, so all of the strategies need to be catered to your own individual needs to maximize recovery.
To learn these new coping skills, it’s important to reach out to professionals and learn from them. Even after you’ve done that, keep regular contact with professional therapy professionals. These check-ins can help you manage your recovery and maintain your new coping mechanisms.
Find Support with The Phoenix Recovery Center
If you’re looking for a good support network for your self-harm recovery, The Phoenix Recovery Center is excited to help you. Patients and their families who choose The Phoenix Recovery Center for self-harm treatment learn and develop coping skills and receive a strong support network. We also help our patients and their families to identify, define, and achieve stability in their pursuit of a meaningful life.
Through the tools we provide and their own efforts, patients and their family members can achieve improved emotional and cognitive health and can begin to heal their relationships. We are excited to answer your questions about self-harm treatment and support you in your healing process as you reclaim the life you desire. Give us a call at (801) 438-3185 to learn more.
