selasa bersama Val #17

today i learn something new.
there's no such thing as cutting just a little bit. NO. if you start having a knife, that is so fucking not good. 
i was not ok for the last couple of days - seriously, i was not. so, i thought, maybe having a small cut would be ok. would be just enough. would be satisfied me so much.
but i was totally wrong. the first five cuts were not THAT enough for me. perhaps, the next five cuts were the same thing too - never enough, i must say.
i only stopped it when i heard Val on the line.

and the rest is history.

***

so, yeah. there is no such thing as "just a little bit".
this is what we call, addiction, people.

if you are an alcoholic and you suddenly bought yourself a bottle of wine or beer or whatever, you will end up finishing it in a go. maybe you would first say "only for one shot", but hey, that's bullshit.
it's kinda similar with my case.
only that i have addiction with a knife, not alcohol.

don't ask me why.
that is just one of my black days.
the damage has been done, ok.
and it's time to bounce back.

kuat lah, wahai aku.

i'm a human being.
human makes mistakes.
no matter how many times
 the same mistakes are made.

mudah untuk kau bicara

bagaimana untuk aku mulakan?

ok, hari 'istimewa' aku telah disumpah dengan amukan aku sendiri. di dalam bilik. ketika aku keseorangan. 

begini --

aku membuat panggilan jauh pagi tu. dan seiring dengan not-not dial, aku menggantungkan harapan berbaur kebahagiaan. empat kali aku menekan nombor yang sama. langsung tak diangkat, hinggalah aku menerima pesanan ringkas tidak lama kemudian. aku balaskan pesanan tersebut dengan panggilan jauh sekali lagi. 

bersahut.

aku tarik segaris senyuman.

tapi, siapa sangka, panggilan yang tak lebih daripada sepuluh minit itu disusuli dengan tangis raung aku. bermula dengan deraian air mata, perlahan, ia menjadi esakan yang menderaskan titis-titis lalu membasahkan setiap raut kertas kulit kitab.

my heart started to ache.

petanda serangan bakal mengambil alih sekejap lagi kalau-kalau aku tak mampu mengawal fasa pertama. mata terus menganak anak sungai kecil pada setiap bebolanya dan elok ia menyusur jatuh permukaan epidermis. entah kenapa, suara Val tiba-tiba diputarkan akal. 

buku.

bibir menyebut. dan sekelip, aku praktiskan teknik kawalan diri yang terlintas.

tapi,

aku terlupa satu perkata penting.

fasa pertama - nafas.

aturan nafas yang berkecamuk, kalau tak dicermat, pasti menggagalkan apa-apa di hadapan.

jelas, benar.

tahu-tahu saja, buku aku dihempas ke dinding bilik. fail dicampak ganas. kertas dirakus koyak. kotak ditendang kasar. lampu bergoyang, langsung, hampir terjatuh. dan pena yang digenggam, dihentak matanya. 

berselerakan.

sepertinya,

tak terbendung sakit di dada.

tak tertahan sakit di hati.

bagaikan dihenyak, dipijak, disentak, diragut, direjam.

haih.

selamat hari lahir, wahai aku.

pertempuran akal dan emosi sememangnya hellish disaster.

kan?

when a person asked me,  what do i want on my birthday,
i simply answered -
"happiness"

***

mudah untuk manusia-manusia sekeliling mengajar aku tentang perkara-perkara yang digemar si Raqib. nasihat-nasihat yang mengalir deras dari bibir itu, seolah-olah sangat gampang dilaksana.

"kau kena faham"

"kau kena belajar terima"

"kau kena bersangka baik"

"kau kena pikir dulu"

sungguh - senang untuk kau panculkan dogma-dogma kau. dan lidah itu, bertulangkan kata-kata malaikat, hanyalah instrumen kecil untuk kau mengangkat darjat agar tampak jauh lebih molek daripada aku.

ya kan?

ah, aku sedar, betapa i AM a damaged person. tapi, untuk sesaat cuma, aku mohon kau susurlah celahan rongga-rongga sepatu aku. 

dan rasakan apa yang aku tarungkan sehari-hari. 

HARAPAN.

terlalu tolol untuk kau fahamkan mekanisme pertarungan jiwa dan jasad seorang aku. sebab, bagi aku, only the cutters know what the cutters feel. and you can never beat my words, unless you are part of us.

takpe lah.

akan tiba, satu saat nanti, andai direzekikan kau untuk merasa apa yang aku deskripsikan di sini, aku harap kau menyesal dengan ideologi yang cuba kau suntikkan ke dalam salur darah seorang cutter.

selasa bersama Val #10

In behavioural management, we learn that there are ways to prevent and to deal with maladaptive attitudes. It's the same thing with what I learn in my counselling sessions. Val give me several techniques, be it preventive or curative, so that I can bring back home and practice them. I must say, some of her homework/techniques are not working on me, therefore I have to let her know about it and she will propose me another techniques. The point is, we are of different individuals with different identities and characters. So, there are multiple of trial-and-errors. Some people might find that A is working on them, some will say "it isn't working". Some people might feel "yeah, this B technique is ok with me" and some might say otherwise. Because of this trial-and-error practices, the treatment to cure from self-harming addiction is extensive. It is a long way process  and as a patient, no doubt, there is a point I want to give up along the way. Yet, my medical team will always, always support me and that's why I always have to have a faith in the process.

Ok, even though I am not completely cured, I just want to share with those who are in the same shoes with me, some curative methods. Of course these tricks are not as stinging as cutting or burning (apparently I stop cutting but I start burning myself with an iron - ok, this is another story. We leave it there for awhile), but the pain from the tricks could be helpful. At least, they won't leave you any marks, so, the feeling of being ashamed for seeing the marks, won't appear.

Last year - I still have the blood stain on
my room's carpet.

1. Rubber band

Always have a rubber band on your wrist. 

I promised Val I won't harm myself anymore, provided she allows me to use this alternative. All I do is, every time I'm overwhelmed by my negative feelings that I feel my chest is tightened, I will pull the rubber band as much as I can and I will let it go. I do that several times until I feel a relief. Surely, it isn't that bad because it doesn't leave you any scars. It still gives you some pain, though.

Usually, this redness will disappear in five to 
seven days. It depends on how 
much you pull the rubber band.
(please ignore my scars on the arm)

2. Cold water

Always standby with a bottle of cold water in your fridge. To make it even awesome, have some ices in your freezer. Once you are in the state of panic attack, run to the kitchen, grab the cold water and put it in a basin. Add some ices too. Then, surface or immerse your face into the basin. You'll feel a sting of coldness on your cheeks. Do it several times until you are satisfied. I tried this cold water trick once. I was in a bathroom in a holiday house. The tap water was icy cold and because at that moment I hate looking at my figure on the bathroom mirror, I suddenly dump my face into the water. I did feel the pain and again, it didn't leave me any marks on my face. That's why no one knows about it, except you guys who are reading this haha

So, try this cold water trick if the rubber band trick is not working.

If the cold water is too much extreme for you, try to hold an ice cube instead. Well, this trick is so-so for me. I tried it several times actually and I don't think it works on me. This is because whenever I'm having a panic attack, my body temperature is sky-rocketing so the ice cube quickly melts before it gives me a powerful pain. Talking about body temperature, sometimes I even sweat although the place I sat was about 16-ish degree Celsius. Well, different people will have different body reactions. So learn your body bits by bits. 

I think, that's all I want to talk about. There are heaps of knowledge I learn and I am more than happy to share with you here. However, with loads of information I'm going to tell you, still, it is up to you whether to take them on board or not. The call is yours.

Cheers.