What critical role does snapping a rubber band serve as a less damaging substitute?
Answer
Managing impulses toward more severe self-harm methods, such as cutting.
In moments of intense emotional distress where an individual feels an urge to inflict physical pain to manage emotional pain, snapping an elastic band functions as a critical harm reduction strategy. It is adopted as a conscious, lower-risk behavior that substitutes for higher-risk actions that cause lasting physical injury, such as cutting. Therapists may suggest this intervention because the sharp sting delivers the necessary intense physical feedback and sensation required to pull the person back from the brink without incurring permanent scarring or severe consequences.

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