Skip to main content

Turning self harm into self love

I have suffered many scars in the course of 7 years; mental scars, emotional scars, and physical scars. I see my scars and experiences as pieces of progress and character, but I didn't always feel this way. For a long time I tried to hide the pained side of me, and it's much easier to hide the invisible scars than the visible ones. The scars from my self harm are far more visible than my emotional scars. Today I want to encourage you by sharing how I turned my self harm into self love and learned to accept every part of myself, good or bad.

Why do people self harm? This is different for everyone! I did it because it made me feel something. My disorders made me numb - my cuts made me feel. However, this feeling of 'feeling something' doesn't last. Self harm does more harm than good. The reasoning behind the self-inflicted pain is different for everyone, but I can guarantee that the results never live up to expectation! After time, they just add more pain and shame than relief. I hid behind my pain for a long time, and I let it define me. But there came a time where I realized that I actually had nothing to be shamed of, and neither do you!

When I look at my scars, I no longer see weakness and shame. I see perseverance and resilience. To be resilient means to "strive amidst adversity", and I believe that this fully represents my struggles and victories, and it can represent yours, too. I see scars as:

S  ymbols of
C  ourage
A  nd a
R  esilient
S  pirit

We have overcome so much! Your scars, whether visible or not, do not have to remind you of the pain that WAS, but of the strength that IS. You have nothing to be ashamed of and no reason to hide! Your resilience is so powerful and strong and symbolizes more than any scar ever will. My scars of self harm actaully became my pillars of self love. They remind me:

  • To forgive myself
I am not prefect, and neither are you. But the greatest strength and beauty come from imperfections! Let your journey represent your beauty and resilience, not self hate and loathing. Forgive your flaws and embrace your beautiful self.
  • To look forward
My journey isn't over, but my past is NOT my future. Never let your past define what your future will be! Define your own future and work to create it. Your future is not dependent on your past.
  • To be happy
I have spent so long being unhappy, anxious and down, and I think that we all deserve to feel happy, hopeful and proud of our journey. My scars remind me to have pride in my progress. Every day is progress and worth being proud of!
  • To have faith in myself
I may not be perfect. I may have a past. I may have disorders and I may still need progress...but I have faith in myself to get myself through. Learn to trust yourself, take care of yourself and have courage.


It isn't easy to see a positive side to pain. If you experience self harm in any way, please seek help. Just open up to someone you trust or admire. I promise you, self harm isn't the solution! Love your body. And if your reasoning is to be seen, speak up to your friends and family. Take charge of your feelings and how you want others to see you.

Keep fighting your fight, loving yourself and being resilient!

xx
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Be Not Afraid

What is your biggest fear? The future? The unknown? People? Death? We all have fear. As someone living with anxiety disorder, fear is something I live with daily. It's like a monster crouched on your shoulder, waiting for his chance to ruin your life and dictate your thoughts. He's always there. He controls you, your thoughts and your actions. He keeps you awake at night, and keeps you in bed in the morning. He destroys your life...if you let him. Fear is not something to be afraid of. This might sound unusual, but I have a fear of being afraid. And if I'm not afraid of something, my mind finds something to fear. It's an endless cycle. But it's your choice whether to break that cycle. How many times did fear stop you from doing something? How many times did he whisper in your ear? I challenge you to choose not to listen. It's not easy! Being afraid is easy. But being brave is where you find your strength. It's ok to be anxious now and then, but what's
Post a Comment
Read more

Words

You're ugly. You're worthless. Why are you even alive? You mean nothing and never will. Don't even try because you'll fail. You'll never be happy. No one will ever love you... I have heard these words more than I can count. When I was 13 I started experiencing intense bullying, both physical and verbal. To be told these things every day, no matter how hard you try, you start to believe them. No one ever told me any different, so what was I, as a young teenager, to believe? I started to hate myself. I mean HATE myself. I fully believed that I would never accomplish anything and that my life was a mistake. To be honest, sometimes I still do. Words are incredibly, ferociously powerful! They have the power to build or destroy you. And it is so true and so sad that you are more likely to believe what others tell you then what you tell yourself. In 11th grade I decided something had to change. I couldn't live hating life, and I wanted to prove those people wrong. Lo
Post a Comment
Read more