Thank You

[LastPoet]

You are trying. I see many similarities with addiction to anything. I can't speak on this matter, my juice once was heroin. It cooled me down, coke only worsened my temper and who knows what LSD did to me. Heroin worked fine, until I grown some sense and decide to stop it. Took me a few dozen tries, but this last try has been panning out for 15 years. I still have the desire in dreams. Why turn back now?

[emjay]

I'm sorry I didn't know about this either, Neim.

Well done for breaking your addiction loadsa hugs to you

[Longhorn]

[robvalue]

In my opinion, thoughts never hurt anyone, it's actions that count. We're rather powerless to stop thoughts of all descriptions entering our head. If I were punished for all the sick messed up stuff that had ever entered my brain, I'd be the world's most hated criminal. But like you I'm sure, I don't act on it.

We all look back at our previous selves and see things we feel embarresed about. Well, most of us. It's a sign of maturity and the desire to grow as a person. Some people have no such desire, and it's those people who I worry about.

[emjay]

@Neim

I'm afraid I don't know much about addictive self-harm. I've had my fair share of depression and suicidal feelings, and once did push a lit cigarette into my arm for which I still have the scar, but I don't know anything about self-harm as a long-term addiction. I would echo what Rob advised earlier in the thread, that if you've got low self-esteem or feelings of guilt/shame caused by the religious programming you received as a child, then try and destroy those beliefs by looking for objective evidence of them. I think it would work for me as well because I also have a lot of negative religious programming I have never undone, or even known how to. Here's hoping it works