how long did you struggle with self-harming urges, after quitting?how do you keep those thoughts at the back of your mind ?

I started cutting when I was 11, and stopped when I was about 16 after my mother threatened to hospitalize me. While I wish I could say there is some magical cure that takes the urge away, there isn't. 6 years after I last cut myself, I still feel the urge, especially in times of crisis. The thoughts, while not as frequent as in the beginning, are definitely still there. While it was the threat of hospitalization that first stopped me, what keeps me from starting again is knowing that it won't change anything. Cutting won't make my problems go away, and while the initial relief it brings is tempting, the following self-loathing just isn't worth it.

When I feel the urge, I usually just cuddle with my dog. When I feel worse, I'll go out for a walk with him (basically, my dog is what keeps me grounded). I hope you can find a healthy way to cope with this, good luck! :)

Its about where thought is in the brain we have old animal fear drives around right brain and brain stem thought should not stay here long or anxiety builds and is triggered easily , practices like CBT and mindfulness teach us to keep thought away from fear drives , as an Evolutional Goodhist with advanced practice I can manually shift thought away from fear drives this takes much practice but you get the idea .

well than i must of been a hard core cutter as i have about 60 or more scars on both of my forearms and i use them as a reminder as what i went through too get too where i am today