Everybody has something that makes the hair on the back of their neck stand up. It may be the sound of nails on a chalkboard or the smell a certain food they cannot stand. Certain words can even make people’s skin crawl for reasons other people may not understand. And there are certain phrases that could trigger emotions when heard by those who self-harm. Those who do not struggle with self-injury may not see some of these phrases as anything but an ordinary, everyday statements. Even though certain things may seem normal to one person, they may be seen and heard in a totally different light and trigger self-harmers.

It isn’t easy growing up – that is a hard, long-known fact. Adolescence is when change is constantly occurring and it is also when many of those who struggle with self-harm become addicted. This isn’t the case for all because there are many individuals who begin self-injurious behaviors before they hit their teens and some who begin self-harm during adult years.

We have all experienced moments that spark a certain thought or make us feel a certain way. For some, an “ah-ha” moment could be a specific lesson an admired professor taught or something tragic occurring on the news. It may be the birth of a family member or the death of a loved one that really stops you in your tracks. Sometimes, these incidents could be the push you need to stop an addiction or an unsafe habit.

Even though the New Year has barely begun, many people have already fallen short when it comes to resolutions. People often go into the New Year with bright expectations and when those expectations do not work out as hoped, people may give up. For those trying to handle both daily life and living with mental illness, giving up on New Year's resolutions is not the best decision when hoping to turn over a near leaf and stay free of self-harm/self-injury.

Every year people make resolutions that seem to fizzle away after the first month or so. Just as quickly as the excitement begins, the motivation seems to drift away and then you’re back the square one. No one likes being back where he or she started, especially if progress has been made and the excitement of success has been felt.

The holiday season can bring forward many positive and negative memories. You may laugh over childhood traditions and remember certain gifts you were given and gifts you gave. Certain holiday songs may spark flashbacks of good times, but some can also bring you back to unsafe, self-harm moments. Even the taste of a holiday sugar cookie can bring forward memories, and even though many holiday memories are positive ones, there are always going to be some negative.

The holiday season makes people crazy. Plain and simple, that is the truth. This craziness often consists of anxiety overload, feeling overwhelmed due to tight budgets and having difficulty prioritizing. From deciding what to buy for loved ones to deciding what to cook for holiday gatherings, life can become one big ball of stress and, at times, it can be hard taking a moment to focus on you.

Many people who self-harm or struggle with a mental illness take medicine to help ease the symptoms and triggers that come with the battle. When it comes to taking medicine to help with mental illness, some people may not like the idea of depending on medication to maintain happiness. The idea of consuming something that will change your mental state is a frightening thing and some people do not like giving up the ability to feel the way they wish.

Now that the Thanksgiving and Black Friday madness have come to an end, the post-feast blues have probably started to sink in. You may feel groggy and uncomfortable from binge eating on Thanksgiving and your mind may be overwhelmed with the amount of shopping you still need to do. On top of that, aspects of your day-to-day life that didn’t affect you before, may have now become stressors just because it is the holiday season – icy roads, overplayed Christmas carols and a rise in the heat bill to name a few. If you weren’t anxious before, the statements above may have triggered it.

Many people who self-harm use it as a way to distract themselves from the stressors surrounding them. By focusing on the physical harm they are doing to their body, they do not focus on what was emotionally or mentally draining them. However, self-harm is not the kind of distraction people should use when trying to redirect their negative thoughts.