The Rising Phoenix

Image Curtesy:  https://swlocums.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/mental-health.jpg  "What problems could you possibly have?" ...   "Look at all those other people with REAL problems, and here you are moaning about yours!" ... These and other similar comments are often the reason why people are afraid to talk about their issues which leads them into keeping it all inside and sends them deeper on the downward spiral.  Self harm is often linked with situations where in people do not find a positive outlet to talk about their problems. However, are they really to blame when there exists such a huge stigma in the society about what problems classify as real and what are just swept under the rug or brushed off as attention seeking attempts or too minor an issue. For someone who is going through these problems, its not so easy to get up the courage to talk about them. Not only are they worried about the sort of judgement and back talk they will be subjected to, rather, ...

Image Curtesy:  https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Female_Unhappy_Overhead-1200x628-Facebook-1200x628.jpg Tears in her eyes as she looked at her daughters arms and legs... unable to believe or understand the scars....yet there they were, under her fingertips, standing out white against the unblemished skin...some healed, some raised and some even now... in the different stages of healing...."What could have been so bad for you to resort to.... this???" she asked in a shaking voice, her disbelief and anger evident in how the tone of the question turned accusatory towards the end. How could she, she wondered.... How dare she do this to herself. Didn't they give her the best of all worlds? Wasn't her life happy? Didn't she know how much she was loved? Just what triggered her to do this? This was the reaction of a mother who by mistake walked into her daughter's room as she was changing, the long sleeved shirts and full pants which she had thou...

Image Curtesy:  https://hbr.org/resources/images/article_assets/2018/10/Oct22_18_862457080.png A lot of people believe mental illness and depression to be a phase or a stunt to gain sympathy or attention, especially if it is in the case of teenagers. This dismissive behavior is often the cause of a lot of friction at home, where people feel that they will not gain the support that they need, that no one can help them out or they will not be able to understand their issues. Indeed, that may well be the case too... what might seem like a monumental problem to one person might seem like something trivial to someone else. However, they should refrain from passing judgement or making negative and belittling comments about it as it will not only upset the person but also push them further away from you. This is turn leads to negative coping mechanisms, substance abuse, alcoholism and self harm. A lot of people meet the concept of self harm with a lot of incredulity - again , understand...

Image Curtesy:  https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQeRNhJhiY2Bhwkn7Q5wzYs9CrXk9MYfZ5_lQ&usqp=CAU Hey readers,  Till now, we have talked about the types of self harm that are... shall we say the most glorified. People talk about them, they know about them and can see the results immediately.  Today, let us touch upon a topic so far not visited by us - Eating disorders , and most particularly, Anorexia.  before we jump into that, let us take a look at what eating disorders are. Eating disorders by definition are characterized by disturbed eating habits which can arise from an obsession with food, with body shape or n number of other factors but find an underlying cause in psychological conditions. They can vary on both sides of the scale - literally!. While some people develop obsessive eating habits at all hours of the day, others can develop an aversion to eating and might try to limit their food intake as much as possible. These are not simple...

Image Curtesy:  https://shalemnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ShalemDigest-Fall-2014-Self-Harm-for-web-4_IMG.jpg Overcoming the Self harm- what does that mean?. Is it said to be accomplished when you stop cutting? Or is it when you can follow all the positive coping mechanisms in the book and smile through the day?. The answer - It is much more and much bigger than either of these because in order to overcome the self harm - stopping the physical aspect of it is only the beginning. Self harm for a lot of people, is a way to release the pressure, to dull the emotional pain, to get over the numbness and actually feel something - even if it is for a short time. However, they do not understand just how short that relief is till it is too late. Once you stop hurting yourself physically, the next thing is dealing with the urge to do it again. Most days if not all, there will be that little voice inside your head, that will urge you to give in, to give up. But you have to trust in ...

Image Curtesy: data:image/jpeg  A wonderful coping mechanism that I came across today, It is called the Butterfly Project. And it is mainly to help cutters overcome their immediate urge to cut. In order to carry this out, whenever you feel the urge to cut, you think of someone who loves you a lot or cares about you or you care about for that matter. You draw a butterfly with their name on it on your arm r any other spot where the cutting is to take place using a permanent marker.  The rule is: You cannot scrub off the butterfly, it has to fade on its own and if you cut while the butterfly is on your skin, then the butterfly dies. You can also draw multiple butterflies or the person whom it is about can also draw it on your skin. This just makes it extra special. A very innovative and fun coping mechanism that could work for a lot of people. For more information  check out the following link:  Butterfly Project instead of Self Cutting (adolescentselfinjuryfoundat...

Image Curtesy:  https://yourteenmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Depositphotos_31641411_l-2015.jpg The wounds heal, the scars become fainter and fainter and the pain becomes almost like a passing thought. You start to think that maybe the light at the end of the tunnel is near...however, the biggest challenge is yet to come: to face the harsh and judgmental reactions of the people around you. They can be your parents, your partners, your siblings, friends or even strangers. We can dream of a Eutopia where no one will judge us for our past and will take our struggles for what they are, however, most often than not that is not the case. And people react, without thinking about u or sometimes not thinking at all. This is not to say that they are bad people, they mean ill or that we are saints, It is a human folly after all and who is to say,  we might have reacted similarly for someone else in some other situation and not have realized it. But today, lets talk about how to deal...

                                     Image Curtesy:  https://www.pinerest.org/media/Trap-of-Self-Harm.jpg “In case you didn't know, dead people don't bleed. If you can bleed-see it, feel it-then you know you're alive. It's irrefutable, undeniable proof. Sometimes I just need a little reminder.” ―  Amy Efaw,  After The relief is palpable when u cut, punch , burn.... you can finally breathe again, stop thinking for just that one single blessed moment, feel free and in control.... and the next moment you realize you might have taken it too far. The bleeding doesn't stop, the bruises keep spreading, the burn doesn't heal and then you panic. Although self harmers are often aware of the limits, there are times when the control is lost or the blade slips just a little too much, the punches become a little too hard. So today, let us talk about what home remedies you can u...

  Your child, your partner, your cousin, your friend- it is a very surreal experience when you find a loved one self harming. You feel lost, angered, maybe even feel pity for the person and most often than not, you feel at a loss so as to how to respond. Today, let us discuss a little bit about this experience. The worst thing that can happen is if you react in an offensive manner. Parents most often than not fall into this category. Their concern explodes as a wave of anger. To a self harmer, it looks like a rejection and a realization of their worst fears. No matter how estranged you are from them, there is still more often than not a feeling in every child to be accepted by his/her parents. And when you react in an explosive manner, it often pushes them away from you further, they feel as if you are not even trying to understand and that they are alone in their suffering. This leads to them getting depressed further and increases their self harming tendencies except now, they ar...

Image Curtesy of:  data:image/jpeg That moment of time when you feel the sharp edge of the blade against your skin... The momentary hesitation ... bracing yourself for the sting before you move your hand decisively, the metallic scent of blood filling your senses as you watch the bright red liquid bubble to the surface and for that one moment you feel .... At peace. As sensational and thrilling as this sounds, the high unfortunately only lasts for a short moment of time after which .... You need more.. it starts as a one off , where you scoff at the possibility of not being able to stop yet soon find yourself yearning for more yet being unsatisfied every single time, needing more and more till you just cant see an end. And then comes the shame, the doubts and the self hate as every single day, the scars remind you of your weakness, taunt you about how they will never let you forget this dark time for years, maybe even for your whole life... You see them, you hate them yet the next ...

Image Curtesy:  https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSOc1zAsOVXcb1Dguqlv5RlitAWwZV6uG8mvw&usqp=CAU The Indian Society in itself is a very conservative one, we as a whole have grown up in an environment which thinks depression is just a cry for attention and self harm is some unspeakable family secret that just cannot be addressed. That however does not stop more and more people, especially the youngsters from attempting it, getting addicted to it and then being unable to get any help for it. So let us first start by understanding what exactly is self harm. Self harm is something that cannot very well be defined but most people would say it refers to voluntarily inflicting harm on your person. This may include cutting, burning, hitting or any other way to cause yourself pain. Now, as a rule, most people refer to the physically manifested injuries, however even mental pressures, putting yourself down, beating yourself up for the smallest of things, over-analyzing...