The Butterfly Project has been created for self-harmers who feel they are ready to stop and need the motivation or support to do so. A member’s hypnotherapist, who found this idea on an online blog and felt that it was a good idea that should be promoted as a distraction, has recommended it.

The idea is simple. The self-harmer simply draws a butterfly on their place(s) of self-harm and, if the butterfly fades without them self-harming, it means it has lived and flown away, giving them a sense of achievement. Whereas if they do self-harm with the butterfly there; they will have to wash it off. If that does happen, they can start again by drawing a new one on. 

As our RYL members are so creative, we have thought of new ideas that could be used! A couple of people tried this and found out that pen washes off pretty quickly, so to make it last longer RYL has thought of starting with a caterpillar, when that washes off a cocoon, and then a butterfly!
Or for those of us who are just lazy and want to stick it on, we thought of tattoos, not just butterflies, but hearts, stars, and tribal designs for the boys and more. There have also been a couple of posts by members who write the names of their friends and family, so that when they feel the need to injure, they see the reminder that they are trying to stop not just for their loved ones, but for themselves. People also tried using song lyrics or quotes. 

A number of members have tried it out so far and it has helped the majority of them. Others have found it hard to keep up, but the fact that they are determined enough to try it has helped and some are going to keep trying. The members who have tried it have mentioned that the drawing itself is a distraction, and that the butterfly tattoo looks nice - they do not want to have to wash it off. If the Butterfly Project gets recognized, it may help people make more progress towards their recovery.

So why not give it a go? 

Take a look HERE

...for RYL's wide selection of temporary tattoos, each that lasts about a week each and which provides a great distraction technique. Don't forget to let us know how you get on by adding your comments below!

Hazel