Hi, Helpwanted...just logging on for the first time in awhile and seeing this thread. I used to cut. Still have the urge every now and then. Clay gave some great suggestions. I used to draw on myself (red marker, of course) where I wanted to cut. I would tend to cut when I was drunk/high and angry or sad. If it was an angry time, I had a piece of wood (just like a 2x4 or something like that) that I would "cut" instead of me. It helped with the aggression because I could be way more violent and damaging to that wood than I could be with myself. Of course, the best alternative coping mechanisms depend on the original motivation to cut.
I've always thought part of the first steps to recovery is really understanding the problem. If you don't understand what's wrong, it's really hard to fix it. When I was diagnosed with bipolar, I started doing research (granted, I'm a neuroscientist, so I already had a pretty good knowledge base of the physical side of stuff, but I had no idea how to LIVE with it)
Anyway...there are some really good books on cutting and understanding it.
For example, Cutting by Steven Levenkron; Skin Game by Caroline Kettlewell; A Bright Red Scream by Marilee Strong...
Of course, if reading about it would be a trigger for you to want to cut, then perhaps I'd avoid this...but it always helps me to try to understand what it is I'm really dealing with. Naturally, a good therapy session helps, too
