Make Memories, Not Scars: Reminiscing Without Self-Harm

Reminiscing without self-harm can be hard but you can make memories without scars. With the social media today, practically every step you take is recorded. Whether you are tagged in photographs from the night before or you tweet about the meal you had, life is not a secret anymore. Technology has made it so you cannot forget some of the memories from your past because, well, they may show up on an app or in an online journal or blog you forgot about. Sometimes the most difficult memories are the ones that crush you without warning and reminiscing about these memories can cause self-harm.

Even though it’s important to live in the moment, it’s also just as important to look ahead and think about how life will be two, five or ten years down the road. Do you want to make memories that will disappoint you or memories that will please you?

Self-harm will definitely be an upsetting memory down the road – even after conquering the demon.

Reminiscing, Even about Happy Memories, Can Cause Self-Harm

Recently I moved back to the city I went to community college in. It’s been interesting driving past restaurants, apartment complexes and the college and reliving the memories that were made in those places. For me, college was what I needed to get away from self-harm and become the person I have grown into.

I needed that escape and, in a way, that escape took the place of self-harm.

Since Facebook pretty much captures every moment of every day, I decided to go back through old pictures of my early college days. While all the pictures I came across brought forward a good laugh, I noticed in many pictures the amount of bracelets I was still wearing. Even though I was smiling or laughing in the pictures, I was also still struggling to overcome urges to cut.

Fortunately, I haven’t self-harmed since my last year at this college, but just seeing the amount of familiar bracelets in the pictures brought back memories of nights I fought off the urge to cut my skin.

What Do You Want to Remember Years From Now? Scars and Self-Harm?

For many who haven’t self-harmed in years, these thoughts still come to mind from time-to-time and some people tend to forget that. Society needs to realize that even when someone hasn’t touched a drink, forced themselves to vomit or cut his or her skin in some time, it doesn’t mean the pain is not still lingering.

Addiction is addiction and just because it has been a while since the addict has experienced the poison doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

You must think about your life and what will be available to you years down the road. That negative status you put up could come back to haunt you and possibly trigger emotions you hadn’t felt in some time. Those photographs you thought you had deleted may appear without warning, pushing urges back into your hands.

Think before you act. Isn’t that a lesson you want to take with you years from now?

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