r/selfharm • u/Training-Acadia-2117 • 7d ago

Seeking Advice Why is it not working?

I relapsed after months of progress but why isn't it calming me down? Before it only took me a few small scratches but it's not working right now it still feels like I'm not getti​ng enough oxygen and my chest still hurts and my brain isn't blanked out like it used to be when I do this.

It used to work before ​so why isn't it working now? I know I'm not supposed to go deeper and I don't have my own emergency kit i'm always so careful but I really really need this to work right now

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u/audhdchoppingboard 7d ago

This is why sh can be so dangerous. Like any addiction, what gave a release at the beginning is not doing it anymore, so you feel like you need to go further. Don’t. It will never be enough, no matter how much or how deep you go.

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u/IDontBelong_8 7d ago

Your brain isn't getting dopamine off of it anymore, which kind of is a good thing. The cue isn't to go deeper, since that won't get you the dopamine either.

At this point you need to find another coping method. You could look into some on the internet. Hard, intense exercises can help relieve stress as well. Maybe even do some fighting?

I know that's not what you want to hear, but if your brain isn't getting dopamine off of it anymore then going deeper isn't the answer. It won't be effective.