Broaching a sensitive topic like self-injury can be daunting. On the one hand, talking about self-harm is often an important part of the healing process, but on the other hand, it can feel a bit like trekking across a field filled with landmines. If you're worried about how to talk about self-harm, here's what not to say—and a few suggestions for what to try instead.

The year 2021 has now officially kicked off, and many of us have set out to become self-harm-free. However, New Year's resolutions alone won't be enough to get us there. It's crucial to develop a practical self-harm care plan that you can reach out for in time of crisis.

One of the hardest things about caring for someone is that when that person hurts, you hurt. It's only natural to want to make the pain go away. But when you love a self-harming partner, things are rarely that simple.

"The 5 Second Rule" is not just about picking up food from the floor. It's also the title of an excellent book by Mel Robbins. It can help you create many positive changes in your life, such as becoming self-harm-free. What is this rule about, and how can you use the five-second rule to combat self-harm urges? I'll tell you all about it in this post.

Despite a seemingly simple definition, it can be difficult sometimes to draw the line between what does and does not qualify as a self-harm disorder. Excoriation, for example, involves purposely and repeatedly harming your own skin—but is skin picking really self-harm?

The year 2020 is finally coming to an end, so inevitably, New Year's resolutions are looming on the horizon. Being self-harm-free might seem like a huge commitment and a lot of pressure to put on yourself from January 1st. However, if you break it down into smaller tasks that feel both achievable and not too overwhelming, living self-harm-free can become a realistic goal.

The road to recovery is never a simple, straight path forward; it curves unexpectedly, and sometimes we find we must backtrack before we can make progress. No matter what point you're at in your own journey, a self-harm coping box can be an incredibly useful tool to help you navigate and stay on track in your recovery from self-harm.

So much is being said these days about self-love as the opposite of self-harm. We often read about practicing kindness towards our bodies, spoiling ourselves with nice things, or repeating positive affirmations. Even I said so in one of my articles. But the thing about loving ourselves is that it’s not an overnight process. It requires a lot of work, and sometimes it’s hard to love yourself if you don’t even like yourself. So is self-love the realistic opposite of self-harm?

The holiday season is a complicated time of year, one that tends to bring out both the best and worst in us. For some, it is simply a time to celebrate and give thanks, but when you're stuck in the shadow of self-harm with depression, lights strung on trees might not seem bright enough to outshine the darkness of long, cold, winter nights.

The change of seasons can sometimes make us feel moody and add seasonal depression on top of self-harm urges, and you might have a problem. Especially in winter months, it’s hard to remain positive when all you see outside your window is doom and gloom. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can happen to some during those times, making us feel depressed and, well, sad. Depression can also fuel self-harm urges, so it’s crucial to practice coping skills and lots of self-love when it’s dark outside.