my friend cuts herself. what should i do?
403544
usually, a cutter is releasing emotion thas pent up. it would very helpful for to learn positive ways to express her emotions. you don't give an age, but i would assume you are teens?  you say she is having problems with her parents? thats not real specific, but if they are hurting her, there are people to help.  remember, most peopole who cut themselves are afraid to let a lot of people know, because they are judged just wanting attention, however i know its not always true.if a counselor isn't available, check out a library in the social service area and look for a book that could help.  good luck to you both, and how lucky is she to have such a great friend like you.
606187
What is causing you or someone you know to cut?  You should probably confide in either a friend, relative, or health professional.  It's not easy, but it's worth it - for the sake of your body.  Listen to music, snap a rubberband around your wrist, write in a journal all the thoughts you are having when you want to cut....those are some things that have worked for people I know - good luck and take care!  Know that you aren't alone!!
900199
ok i know exactly how you must feel. I have done this exact same thing. I used to cut and eventually felt so bad i told my friends and they saved my life basically. but then i went through a rough time during my senior year in high school and started doing my own pericings. I did two of them. And omg did they get infected! tell your friend that if she wants her ears peirced to get it done profesionally. this could be a new way of her hurting herself. i mean 3 is kinda excessive. just sit her down and express your concern hopefully she will listen. besides the infections that come with at home pirecings are awful and can be dangerous. *also if she is pericing cartalige she could over do it and make it break. i did this and now the top part of my left ear droops its embarassing as hell*
697697
I would call crisis intervention if there is a listing around your area. If not, look up suicide hotlines and ask for advice. I hope your friend is okay at this moment. The best thing you can do for her is to be there.
715837
Sweetie, you need to talk to someone who can help you.  Tell your parents, school counselor, doctor, teacher, or any other adult you trust what's going on.  You don't have to tell them that you're cutting if you don't want to, just that you're depressed.  I know it might seem like there's nothing anyone can do, but it's not true.  There are medications that can help with the depression, and talk therapy can help as well.  A psychologist can help you learn healthier ways to deal with things instead of cutting, and help you figure out what's going on around food.  They can also help you figure out what's at the root of your problems, so you can start to work on fixing whatever is really wrong instead of hurting yourself.\n\nI used to cut myself too (and I'm using the past tense very losely here), so I do understand what it's like.  If you want to talk, you're welcome to email me at emilyrose1986@yahoo.com.
874301
Hi there,\n\nTry talking to her. If she is cutting she is screaming out for help but just doesn't know how to get it. \n\nIf she doesn't want to talk to you it is very important that you see if you can find some-one she will talk too. If you can't think of anyone call LIFELINE or KIDS HELP LINE to get some help!!!\n\nLife line 13 11 14\nKids Help line 1800 55 1800 \n\nYour a good friend to be concerned.
993905
He sounds like he may be battling depression.  It is a very real disease, but quite treatable.  Talk to him and tell him what you are seeing and suggest he get help.  If he is younger, under adult age, talk to your parents, or his parents, or a teacher, with your concerns to see if someone can help you get him to help himself.  If he is thinking thoughts of hurting himself, then this is all the more urgent.  If you really care about your friend, you will take action on this.  Even if he ends up not liking you for it, at least for awhile, you can be happy in the fact that you may save his life.\n\nGood luck
1102587
Self harm is very common, people do it in all sorts of ways.\n\nIf I was your friend I would want you to tell me about it, so that I had peace of mind that you were safe.  Are you safe?\n\nSelf harm can be done in a safe way, if you cut yourself make sure that what you use is sterile, and is not going to cut you too deeply.  I would much prefer that you didn't cut yourself, and that you spoke to a counsellor.  \n\nI know that this is your way of coping with things, but trust me, hurting yourself is not going to help you in the long run.  All it will do is cause you more problems, more upset and more loneliness.\nTalk about it, get help.\n\nDon't worry about what your friends will say or if they think your weird, because its done now anyway.  This is about you.  Sort yourself out and don't worry about your friends reaction, that should make no difference to how you change your habit.
928240
How do you know if a girl is cutting herself because of her appearance? Or how do you tell if a girl is cutting herself BY her appearance? \n\nEither way, if she is, it's a personal thing. Some people do it for attention, others because of a mental problem, others just for something to do. If you want to know why she is doing it, ask her. Go from there.
914230
If you seriously think this might happen - you need to contact the local authorities.  They won't take this situation lightly.\n\nIf she's possibly going to harm herself or others, they will investigate.\n\nWhere's her family - you should also contact them but don't wait for them to call the police.\n\nYOU need to do this NOW.
1062575
First talk to her about how it upsets you. Then if she can't do anything else, tell her you'll tell her mom but you guys can do it together or tell her she should tell her. or any other person she might trust, but has authority. Be careful to tell her how much you care about her and that if she keeps going in that direction, what if one day the cut is too deep and she's gone for good? Talk, listen, and support her in getting help. She will need it!
721465
Flip the script on her...tell her you are going to kill yourself. Or like everyone else is saying she needs to go to the hospital. On a personal note...I tried to kill myself almost a year a ago. If I was not drunk I probably wouldn't have hurt myself so deeply but I cut my wrist and cut nerves, arteries, etc. I had to have surgery. The medical bills alone is enough to realize ok that was dumb. I almost lost my hand and I only have partial use of my pinky because I cut the Ulnar nerve. What I realized through all of this is I didn't want to die, I just wanted things to get better and they do I promise! I seeked help, got on medication (which I was initially against) but it helped. People love you and you will only leave them in complete and utter pain if you took your own life. (This is to relay to your friend) You only have one life that you know about...so just make the best of it because your time will come. We don't come with a re-do button but we have a chance to make our lives better. Just think if you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up. I wish you all the luck, and love! Take Care.
343049
Tell him how you feel about him.  You can never go wrong with being honest.  If he doesn't return your feelings then cut off the friendship because it would be to painful and he would a least know the truth. ( and so would you ) \nAs for cutting yourself - This is a terrible outlet for difficult feelings.  Talk to a counselor if you can't stop this behaivior.
446301
I know where you are at. Self injuring is a way to deal with pain and hurt. It seems easier to deal with the physical pain of cutting than the emotional pain of your hurt. This IS normal, but try to find someone to talk to. I used to cut myself when I was younger. I had a tough childhood and some really rocky relationships with boyfriends. Cutting felt good. I am married now. I do not cut anymore or think about hurting myself. I have a beautiful baby girl who is 10months old. I spoke to counselors and friends. You may not think so now, but they can be so benificial to your healing. \nMy husband knows of my past and of my cutting. My scars are a reminder of what USED to be. I was really depressed. At times when I look at my scars, I wish I hadnt have taken that razor and sliced my beautiful skin. But I did. I did what I did. I talked to my friends and family about my pain and they accepted it. Your friends/family will come around. They are acting that way towards you now because they don't understand. HELP them understand. REACH OUT to someone. I have never met you but I can tell you that EVERYONE is beautiful and unique in their own way. YOU are OK! If you have a family physician, try talking to them. TEll them you are feeling depressed. They maybe able to prescribe something for the chemical imbalance. It's NOT YOUR FAULT that you are depressed. A great majority of the world is depressed. And go figure with all the crap thats going on in the world today.\n\nRemember....ITS NOT YOUR FAULT...and you are NOT a freak!\nTake care...it WILL get better...
64294
have you talked to her since? she needs your support now more than ever! make sure to talk to her alot; she doesn't necessarily need to respond. ask her about her problems...make sure she knows you care. DON'T give advice to "fix" her problems; just show her that there's more to life! AND remind her of the people she'd be hurting (mainly you, other friends, parents, and siblings) if she decided to do it again. suicide attempts are always a very sad situation. get together with her and other friends; go walking, swimming, read a novel aloud to one another, watch a funny movie together, look at photo albums! make sure to spend QUALITY TIME with her. the next attempt she has may be interrupted by your phone call to hang out with her! good luck and keep it up! -sudo psycho...logist
282105
It is very hard to realize that someone you care about is physically harming herself or himself. Your concern may come out in frustration and even comments that can drive the person farther away. Some things that might be helpful are: \n\nunderstand that self-harming behavior is an attempt to maintain a certain amount of control, and that it is a way of self-soothing \nlet her or him know that you care and that you will listen \nencourage expression of emotions, including anger \nspend time doing enjoyable activities together \noffer to help find a therapist or support group \ndo not tell the person to stop the behavior or make judgmental comments – people who feel worthless and powerless are even more likely to self-injure \nif you are the parent of a self-injuring child, prepare yourself to address your family’s difficulties with expression of feelings, as this is a common factor in self-injury – this is not about blame, but about a learning process that will help the entire family.\n\nMore info at the links bellow....
299121
this is a very serious, yet common thing for many young girls to do. The reason people do this is because they are in so much emotional pain and they do not know how to direct it. They cut because the physical pain feels better than the emotional pain. They cut because when it hurts physically, then its a reason to cry and it's like a catalyst to letting out some of the emotional pain. Some cut because they feel completely numbed emotionally and they just want to feel something. Your friend needs help. Encourage her to seek some counseling. If she is a minor, she needs to talk with a school counselor and/or her parents. No boy is worth going through everything she is going through. I know of a really excellent article that discusses this subject in more detail.