7 Quotes by Kim L. Gratz

It's important to keep in mind that most people have no idea how to respond effectively to someone who self-harms.

This might surprise you, but one of the best ways to manage your emotions is simply to experience that emotion and let it run its course.

Having a strong urge is like having a child throw a temper tantrum inside you, screaming "Hurt yourself!" But if you repeatedly ignore the urge's request and don't harm yourself, your brain will learn that urges don't work, just as a child learns that throwing a tantrum won't work.

We want to be clear: The skills we [teach] you for managing your emotions and controlling your urges to self-harm will never be quite as effective or satisfying as self-harm in the short run.

Even though alcohol abuse is frowned upon by society, it's generally considered acceptable to drink in moderation in many social situations. In fact, society has a pretty high tolerance for drinking, even when people drink to the point of getting tipsy. This is definitely not the case for self-harm, though. On the contrary, society generally sees self-harm as unacceptable at any level and under any circumstances.

Having a strong urge is like having a child throw a temper tantrum inside you, screaming “Hurt yourself!” But if you repeatedly ignore the urge’s request and don’t harm yourself, your brain will learn that urges don’t work, just as a child learns that throwing a tantrum won’t work.

It’s important to keep in mind that most people have no idea how to respond effectively to someone who self-harms.