"My Green Box"

While i was looking on the internet the other day I found this article and thought that it would be good for people to read and might help them cope.


"I have a green box. It isn’t just any old green box, although it looks that way to most people, but it is special, really special.

It’s whats inside that counts

My Green Box is for special occasions – occasions when I am feeling out of it and when I want to self-harm. It is a safety mechanism that my psychiatrist and I have put in place. Maybe it isn’t the box so much that is special, but the contents and their purpose.
It is a mixed up muddle of finger paints, water colours, brushes, plasticine, paper, pencils, pens, glue, little toys, a small puzzle, pictures from calendars for analysis – anything and everything that will keep me occupied when I really need to hurt me. It is a distraction mechanism. It also has envelopes and addresses for letter writing and a safety list of phone numbers I can call if I need to.

Staying safe

The idea is this – I sit on my bed with nothing in reach except My Green Box. I am not permitted to have anything that is not contents of the box, and nothing in the box is allowed to be sharp or have the capacity to harm in any way.

We are all individuals

In My Green Box I also have a couple of Valerian tablets (a herbal sleeping tablet) and lavender oil (helps me to relax). I suppose making up a safety box is purely up to the individual and where their interests lie. I enjoy artwork so most of mine is arty kind of stuff. It works for me much of the time.

Support

Between this and great friends for support, and babying myself by taking a bath with lavender oil or drinking a glass of warm milk and other relaxation techniques, I have been able to avoid self harming for a period of time. This is success in my eyes, and the eyes of those around me that care."

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