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Girl Shares Therapist’s Advice To Draw On Her Body Instead Of Cutting
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Girl Shares Therapist’s Advice To Draw On Her Body Instead Of Cutting

Person That Used To Self-Harm Shares Zentangle Technique That Helped Them StopWoman Shares Technique That Helped Her Stop Self-Harm And People Are Thanking HerWoman Uses Popular Drawing Technique Called 'Zentangle' To Stop Self-Harming, Says It WorksWoman Doodles On Her Leg To Distract From Self-Harming, Says This Technique Totally WorksWoman Doodles On Her Leg To Stop Self-Harming, Reccomends The Zentangle Technique To Everyone Suffering From ItTherapist Tells Girl To Draw Where She Wants To Cut, Instead Of Self-Harming, And It Loooks Like ZentangleGirl Draws Zentangle-Like Designs Instead Of Self-Harming As A Form Of TherapyGirl Shares Therapist's Advice To Draw On Her Body Instead Of CuttingGirl Shares How 'Zentangle' Has Helped Her Cope With Self-Harm Tendencies, Explains What It IsGirl Shares Her Therapist's Advice About How To Avoid Self-Harming And It Looks Clever And Powerful
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Mental health issues are not discussed enough – but often when they are, it’s after a devastating event such as suicide. Cutting or non-suicidal self-harm is an issue that can fly below the radar because people might not even notice this psychological disorder happening. This mental issue is defined as deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue and affects almost one in five people worldwide.

Unlike people who commit suicide, cutters aren’t trying to kill themselves. By contrast, they often self-harm to feel alive, rather than numb because the act releases endorphins. This mental disorder is very dangerous, and you can easily end up in the hospital, which is why someone took to the internet to share their coping and mental therapy strategy – art.

Someone who used to self-harm took to the internet to share how she overcame the habit with art

Someone else saw the post and added that the easy-to-draw pattern method of Zentangle could be particularly helpful

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Zentangle therapy sessions are non-representational and unplanned so you can focus on each stroke and not worry about the result. There is no up or down to Zentangle art. If fact, you can most easily create Zentangle art by rotating your tile as you tangle — always keeping your hand in a relaxed position. You don’t need to know what a tangle is going to look like to draw it. You just need to know the steps. The result is a delightful surprise – both relaxing and sometimes masking self-harm scars if that’s what you seek,” writes their website.

Image credits: unknown

Image credits: flori.art

Image credits: suejacobs.blogspot

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Image credits: tasozenart

Image credits: unknown

Image credits: aa.zenart

Image credits: zentangle_tutorials

Image credits: jr.movements

Image credits: drawinglife1989

Image credits: lettherebeartt

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Image credits: zentangula

Image credits: plainpilgrim

Image credits: flori.art

Watch these videos to see Zentangle in action:

Image credits: charvi ashtekar

People who had experiences with self-harm praised the method

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Ilona Baliūnaitė

Ilona Baliūnaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

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I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

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Ilona Baliūnaitė

Ilona Baliūnaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

Sofie Tapia

Sofie Tapia

Writer, Community member

Read more »

Sofie Tapia is a journalism graduate from the University of Kentucky. She is now a free-spirited content creator who wanders the globe rearranging words for various outlets. She previously worked as a reporter for Lebanon Daily News and worked as an editor at both Al-Masry Al-Youm and Egypt Independent. She can be reached at Sofie@BoredPanda.com

Read less »

Sofie Tapia

Sofie Tapia

Writer, Community member

Sofie Tapia is a journalism graduate from the University of Kentucky. She is now a free-spirited content creator who wanders the globe rearranging words for various outlets. She previously worked as a reporter for Lebanon Daily News and worked as an editor at both Al-Masry Al-Youm and Egypt Independent. She can be reached at Sofie@BoredPanda.com

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Aramis Starfish
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

thank you for sharing. This technique has helped me too. eventually I have tattooed the places I found most pleasing to cut. Not to cover the scars. but because it shifts the mid set. I tend to be in a dissociative state when self harming so drawing on my skin or tracing the tattoos is calming and grounds me back to me. it does not produce the endorphins but also not the subsequent guilt and shame. so are helpful tools to try. Xox

Zori the degu
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It doesn't just help with depression. It helps you exercise a new-found talent(everyone is born an artist, to some extent)! I think it's a win indeed!

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Aramis Starfish
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

thank you for sharing. This technique has helped me too. eventually I have tattooed the places I found most pleasing to cut. Not to cover the scars. but because it shifts the mid set. I tend to be in a dissociative state when self harming so drawing on my skin or tracing the tattoos is calming and grounds me back to me. it does not produce the endorphins but also not the subsequent guilt and shame. so are helpful tools to try. Xox

Zori the degu
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It doesn't just help with depression. It helps you exercise a new-found talent(everyone is born an artist, to some extent)! I think it's a win indeed!

Load More Comments
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