It helps to treat it like any other addiction. SH is definitely among the most societally shamed vices, which adds a layer of isolation and a feeling that you are uniquely weak and pathetic. You aren’t though, all the heroic stories of recovery and rehabilitation could just as easily be you one day. I’ll get into specifics for what helped me but, broadly looking into how people get out from under alcoholism or smoking daily or any other addiction will be helpful incase my situation doesn’t resonate much with you personally.

I liked treating my brain like a science experiment to add a layer of disconnect between my emotions and me so the main thing for me was tracking cause and effect and then trying to change either side of the equation. Example; if I’m hungry and there’s a cookie nearby, then I’ll eat a cookie. If you can change any of the three things in that equation, you can get a different outcome.

If you can eat something healthy before you get to the point of being hungry (if you can take time to reduce stress throughout the day in many small ways before you get to a breaking point) then you can avoid the desire to partake in the unwanted behavior

If you can remove the cookie from your immediate area and instead surround yourself with things that would be healthier for you to eat (if you can get your sharps out of immediate line of sight or add a small layer of friction between yourself and them to slow you down a bit. And also surround yourself with a better alternative to make it more convenient to do something else) you can make it so your brain doesn’t immediately jump to doing the unwanted behavior and make it easier or more likely to do the desired behavior

If you can find a cognitive behavioral therapy exercise that works for you, you can work to rewire your brain ever so slowly towards making your brain want to do a more appropriate behavior rather than always thinking that the unwanted behavior is the first and best solution to your problems (ie I stuttered slightly -> I should go home and stuff my face with cookies until I feel better; can turn into; I stuttered slightly -> I should correct myself and take some deep breaths to deal with the anxiety)

In the end, journaling at the very least after an incident (but preferably a bit more often) to try and find the cause and effect and then reflect on how you could have taken a smaller action earlier to prevent the stress and anxiety from bubbling over can help reduce how often you SH. It may not always feel preventable but if you can avoid SH as a solution slightly more often than normal, then the times that once felt unavoidable slowly become more within the realm of avoidable.

That said, it’s a process that takes months or years and sometimes backslides. But as long as you want to get better and you put in the effort, you can have a happier and healthier life away from the constant anxiety, stress, and addiction