Distraction Techniques and Alternative Coping Strategies

Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery

This practical information sheet outlines new ways of coping with difficult feelings and identifying and challenging the thoughts that lead to self-injury

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Therapeutic Expressive Arts Group (TEA)
Self Injury Through Time Theatre Group (SITT)

An unexpected group of strangers come together one evening; to discuss the one thing they all have in common. Through sharing their own experiences and hearing each other’s, they begin to question the perception they’ve always held about self-injury and ask themselves “Am I Worthy?”
Self Injury Through Time (SITT)
Peer Support Services

Self Injury Support's Peer Services offer non-medical, non-judgmental support from people with their own experience of self-harm.

Casual Sex As Self Harm

For months I would go to the areas of town where lone women were told not to go. I would purposely go to the places and do the things that I knew were putting me at risk. I fooled myself into thinking I was in control, that it was a calculated risk. I wasn't finding people on a dating app, I wasn't going on blind dates or finding people through mutual friends. I was going to the bars that people would advise me to avoid and actively looking for a one night stand.
UK Support Groups and Other Services

Comprehensive listing of local and national self-harm and self-injury support groups and organisations
Text and Helpline Support Services Open
Where You Harm and What You Do
Rainbow Journal - Personal Self-Help Diary
What if I don't want to stop self-harming?
Distractions and alternatives
About Us - Our Vision, Our Mission, Our Values

Read more about our vision that anyone who uses self-injury knows they are not alone; that everyone understands that self-injury is a complex and important issue we should all care about and that together we tackle both the causes and stigma of self-injury.
Helpful responses to self-injury

Short and long term helpful responses to self-injury
Reducing self-harm worksheet