Self Mutilators Anonymous

Most of us who have come to believe that we are self-mutilators found that we could say “yes” to three or more of the following items. By using the Tools of Recovery and working the 12 Steps, we can arrest the behavior one day at a time.

• Have you ever deliberately hurt yourself using any of the behaviors listed in the first section of this web page?
• Have you ever resolved to stop the behavior forever, only to return to it in a short time?
• Do you say to yourself, “I’ll only do it this once,” and then find it impossible to stop?
• Do you seem to go into a trance-like state when engaging in the behavior?
• Have you ever seen a therapist or counselor about the behavior?
• Have you ever hidden the behavior from people close to you or lied about it?
• Do you cover up the damage with makeup, bandages, clothing, etc., to hide it from yourself and others?
• Do you keep hoping that you’ll eventually “grow out of it,” but fear that you will never be able to stop?
• Do you have multiple behaviors, such as chewing the inside of the mouth, nose picking, etc.?
• Has engaging in the behavior ever made you late for work, an appointment, or kept you from doing something important?
• Do you get a feeling of comfort rather than pain from the behavior?
• Do you tell yourself that if others can’t see the results of self-injury, it really isn’t that bad?
• Do you have feelings of shame about yourself and your body?
• Do you think you are the only one who does these kinds of things?