What's so bad about cutting yourself?
594649
It's not the "cutting" so much as the why.  Every self-mutilator I have met has said that hurt, anger sadness, any emotion gets so bad that cutting relieves the pain.  In history doctors used to try to cure diseases by "blood letting"  cutting the patient so the "bad, diseased blood" would be removed from the body.  How deep do you cut?  do you require sutures?  Most cutters are not suicidal, but sometimes accidentally kill themselves by cutting too deep or hitting an artery.  Counseling is not a bad thing, if you get the right person, but you have to want to go or it won't help you.
395814
It's alot more than just cutting yourself. Many people do it because you need to feel, and they become emotionally numb. Self Injury, SI, is common believe it or not, many people do not advertise the scars or use medicine to help heal the wound to cover it up. All of my scars can easily be covered by shorts and a tee shirt. The worst thing you can do is be negative to the person. It sometimes is the only thing that can make you feel alive! I do not agree it is about the pain, most of the time you do not feel pain, it is more about the blood. People who SI usually do it more than once, they dont die the first time. A common misconception is that is is a call out similar to suicide. SI does not mean the person is suicidal! SI is different for many people, men and women both SI. If you are interested in more information I have included a website below that should help. The website was written by SI's for SI's and their families and friends. I'll put this question on my watch list if you have anymore questions please ask.
641670
OH--IT'S CUTTING ALRIGHT AND YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS IN YOUR DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND NOT IN HERE-----DARLIN' LISTEN TO AN OLD SALT WHO ONLY WISHES YOU THE BEST---YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THE ATTENTION THAT YOU SEEK BEFORE OR UNTIL YOU STRAIGHTEN THIS 'THING' OUT--IT IS NOT NORMAL--IT IS NOT GOOD--IT IS VERY HARMFUL--IT IS EXTREMELY DISTASTEFUL TO ALMOST EVERYONE--AND THE ATTENTION YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AND NEED IS NOT TO BE FOUND IN THIS BEHAVIOR--TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER--PICK UP YOUR PHONE--CALL THE DR. AND DECIDE RIGHT NOW TO END THIS 'THING' OR IT WILL ROB YOU OF EVERY OPPPORTUNITY OF HAPPINESS THAT YOU WILL EVER HAVE-----LOL AND PEACE--ABOVE ALL--PEACE
724833
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/self-injury/DS00775\nSelf-injury/cutting\nIntroduction\n\nFor people who can't fathom deliberately hurting themselves, self-injury may seem shocking and frightening. But for people who do injure themselves by cutting or other means, self-injury offers a momentary sense of calm and a release of tension. Unfortunately, that's usually quickly followed by guilt and shame and the return of other painful emotions. And with self-injury comes the very real possibility of inflicting serious and even fatal injuries.\n\nSelf-injury isn't a specific disease or condition. Rather, it's a type of abnormal behavior. It may accompany a variety of mental disorders, such as depression and borderline personality disorder. Because self-injury is often done on impulse, it's sometimes considered an impulse-control behavior problem. Self-injury is also known as self-harm, self-injurious behavior and self-mutilation.\n\nhttp://health.discovery.com/centers/teen/cutters/cutters.html\nhttp://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html\nhttp://www.kidzworld.com/site/p4217.htm\nhttp://www.thehelpline.net/selfinjury.html\nhttp://teenadvice.about.com/od/cuttingbranding/\nhttp://www.webmd.com/content/article/53/61375.htm
388913
For some reason, self injurious behavior is very addicting. Once you start, it's very hard to stop. I started cutting when I was 12--I'm now 28 and still fight the urge.  Since you just started, you need to work really hard at stopping.  If you feel like you really need help, you need to reach out to an adult that you trust and can talk to.  When you feel the urge to cut, call a friend or find another outlet---sports, drawing, working out, music, writing your feelings down, hobbies.  You need to get control over this now because the longer you do it, the harder it is to stop.\n\nI have an adult friend who also cuts.  She cuts to the point of having to go to ER.  So, this is very serious--if you don't gain some control, it'll control you and only get worse.\nIf you're suicidal, you really need to talk to your parents.  You may need some different meds.\n\nPlease find someone you can reach out to! And never feel like people don't/can't understand because there are many people who do this.  You're not alone.\n\nBest of luck to you!\n\nhttp://www.palace.net/~llama/psych/injury.html\nhttp://www.focusas.com/SelfInjury.html\nhttp://teenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/mutilate.htm\nhttp://www.coolnurse.com/self-injury.htm
416009
Cutting is often reported by those who do so, as a form of "release" from actually feeling NOTHING AT ALL. For others, it is an attempt to redirect the pain.  Some others do use it as a form of self punishment. It depends. Whatever the reason, it is not always just a representation of childhood grievances; like one of the others here said, you can have a fine childhood. BUT, if you have a mental illness which can be purely organic/biological then cutting is a symptom of some pretty serious personality disorders. Either way, a cutter's suffering is great and should not be taunted because of it. Many go to great lengths to hide it and are ashamed.  If you know someone with this behavior, they need help and support soon. People who are cutters have a very high rate of suicide, although the cutting itself does not often represent a suicide attempt but some have accidentally resulted in such because they cut too deep.
959318
Everything that has been said so far is amazing, so I won't elaborate much. \nI was emotionally abused as a child, and at the ripe old age of 22 have experienced the spectrum of eating disorders, emotional problems and, of course, medications. As a function of my self-hatred, I began to cut myself a couple years ago. I have since stopped, but still have times where I struggle.\n\nI used cutting as a way to 'come down' from a state of manic anxiety, panic or just emotional pain in general. I definitely recommend getting help through a psychiatrist/psychologist, and embarrassing as you may find it, reach out to anyone that you are close to so that you will have a support system in your time of need. \n\nFrom my experience, I recommend that you try to take the feelings that push you to self-harm and express them another way, that mimics the release of cutting. This may seem silly to some people, but what worked for me was hitting inanimate objects... beating the crap out of my bed, tearing up magazines, etc. Although this does not completely satisfy the urge to cut, it can get out some of the excess adrenaline and frustration that may be fueling your urge in the first place. One other thing that worked for me was to imagine that it was my own child or someone I love who was cutting... to imagine the precious skin and flesh of someone else being mutilated and what a mockery it is of how amazing we are... try to think of your body as your shelter and a precious friend that you want to protect...\n\nI hope this helps... I haven't cut in a long time, and I'm glad that I stopped (even though I still struggle with the same old demons). I look at my scars with a sense of sadness and protectiveness... as a reminder that destroying myself is not productive or beneficial. \n\nAnd always know that you are loved :) Always.
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...
408761
i was also into self mutilation and i used to cut myslef too.  i also have my reasons to why i did it. best way i think is to talk to someone you are close to. you are too young for this type of thing.
897224
Ok...I'm going to tell you a true story.\n\nThis 12 year old girl who was new at my school. She was a foster child and had no parents, she wasn't happy with her appeearnce because people made fun of her because she looked like a guy. She only went to our school for a week and then after that week....the whole entire school  heard she had died in her bed and that she cuts herself and on accident, she cutted one of her viens and it spillt a lot of blood, so she lost a lot of blood and died. This was a true story. Viens are everywhere in your body...so pleaese dont cut yourself.\n\nI dont know what you've been thro or whats going on in your life thats making you want to cut yourself but please...whatever you do, dont. There are a lot fo kids now and these days who think they're going thro a lot and they take it out by cutting themselves....taking it out on their flesh and skin which is not good at all. If you cut yourself a lot...you will eventually lose a lot of blood which is unhealthy.\n\nBut whatever you're going thro now....dont think about it...change whatever is bothering you and change it. Write something down in your journal or notebook or diary you keep private and let it all out...you'll feel a whole lot better. Take it out on a notebook papr instead of taking it out on your skin. \n\ngod bless you
586539
if the counseling is not working, find a new counselor, psychiatrist, etc.  some people go through quite a few before finding one that works well for them.\nmy own history is rather full of self cutting and as for myself i just sort of outgrew it as the desire became less and  less over the years...but it wasn't like i outgrew it in a year, it was more like ten.  and some of it gets hard as to what to count or not.  i always greatly enjoyed skateboarding and always skated better when i was depressed and thinking of cutting myself, so i guess it was a f*** it if i get hurt thing going on there.  i also went through numerous piercings before i realized i was doing it since it was more socially acceptable to have a hoop than a self created scar.\nas for understanding it...its not really something you probably can, people either seem to understand it (cause they have been there) or not.  it was almost like self medicating for me, like a reset switch that would refocus me and i would feel better for awhile after wards.  it definitely wasn't a healthy habit and i came close several times to killing myself which is scary now to look back on but at the time wasn't bothering me all that much.  most cutters i have known though, there "habit" hasn't really gotten worse, meaning that, a cut was a cut and there wasn't a drive to make bigger or more cut/s intentionally next time.\n...it felt very "real," i felt "alive" again after doing it, and able to focus more, it was like i could snap myself out of being depressed by cutting myself.  being yelled at about it didn't help at all, if anything it made me feel worse.  though i was fine if i felt like someone was talking to me, trying to understand why i did it and not being overly judgmental about me for it.  so i would recommend very neutral conversations about it with her for awhile.\nwriting really helped me alot to work things out, though it never stopped me from cutting myself...but a writing hobby can't hurt any.  you might want to try to determine if she is taking "trial" runs at a real suicide attempt, though really try to be very neutral and diplomatic about this.\nits also something that doesn't really seem to ever go away 100%, i am rather fond of my scars, though i know many people who are ashamed of theirs, and i still think about it ever so often but for some reason just don't do it.  i guess i should add i was always most prone to cutting myself if i realized i was going into a depression, or when i was coming out of one, so maybe that might help you determine when she is most at risk, though i'm sure it varies for different people.  anyway...i don't mind talking about really, so feel free to email or message me if you want.  hope this helps some.
887899
it has brain threatening side effects!  A person could also go berserk & put him/her self in harm's way.  Like attacking someone, or running out in traffic, or being so crazed that police have to baton him to calm him down.  I've seen it in action - it's awful!  They are like rabid animals!
185256
I think you saw the wrong doctor. Self-mutilation is just like an addictive drug, you can't stop it without help and you need reassurance every day. That's why people go to AA meetings every day, because addiction is a sicnkess that needs treatment. If you don't treat it, you get sicker. There are many people you can call, or websites to visit. Try this one: http://www.self-injury.net/
901413
I'm an ex-cutter myself; congratulations on giving up the habit--we both know that takes guts. Tell you the truth, it isn't as "bad" as people think it is; it's just socially unacceptable, dangerous in a minor way, and an ineffective way to cope with emotional problems.\n\nCutting is very socially unacceptable, except in very specific cultures--it might be accepted among "goths", or, if it is decorative, among people who are into body modification.\n\nHere's why cutting is socially unacceptable:\n\nWe are all born with a huge instinct for self-preservation. People do amazing things when their lives are in danger; look at any account of people who have survived things like fires, or being trapped in the wilderness, or plane crashes... Human beings are very, very motivated to survive.\n\nThe very strange thing is that you probably cut yourself because it was a last-ditch effort to survive. But other people didn't understand that.\n\nThere's a visceral reaction that people have when they see someone else with an injury--a psychological sympathy-pain reaction, I suppose. Whenever I see someone else with an injury, I know I kind of cringe in sympathetic pain... I don't know if you feel it the same way, but there's always a sort of knot in my stomach when I see someone else has been injured.\n\nThe second reason is that people see anyone who hurts themselves deliberately as mentally ill, and that there is a huge stigma associated with mental illness.\n\nBecause cutting is so "dramatic", and people can't imagine themselves doing it, they often think that it is much more severe than it actually is, or that it is a suicide attempt. In reality, superficial self-injury is usually an indicator of a relatively common mental illness like depression.\n\nPeople are afraid of those with mental illnesses. There are a lot of reasons for that:\n--Horror movies have a lot of villains who are psychopaths or otherwise insane... Despite that a murderer or other violent criminal is very likely to be perfectly sane, people associate mental illness with violence.\n--People are often afraid that they will "catch" your mental illness.\n--There's a certain social code that people follow. Whatever language you speak, that's only about half your communication to other people. The other half is nonverbal... gestures, clothes, the way you walk, your posture. People with mental illnesses often don't follow these unwritten codes; and people who see them don't "speak" the same nonverbal language. Therefore, people will often ostracize those with very mild problems... just because they can't predict their nonverbal actions.\n--People are afraid of what they don't know and can't predict. Prejudice against the unfamiliar--whether it's a different culture, or a different sexual orientation, or whatever--is very common. And those with mental illnesses, even common ones like depression or PTSD, are just different.\n\nWhen people see your scars, they know you have broken a taboo: The unwritten rule that one must always act to protect one's physical health. That rule is imprinted on your instincts.\n\nThe reason you broke that rule is because you knew that, with your limited options, you might hurt yourself worse if you didn't hurt yourself superficially. It's like getting a splinter out of your skin, so it doesn't get infected... It hurts, but it'd hurt a lot worse if you didn't.\n\nBecause you had limited options, you chose to hurt yourself in a small way to avoid big emotional pain. Now that you have more options, mentally and emotionally, to deal with emotional overload, you no longer need such a drastic coping strategy. Cutting really doesn't work all that well, anyway; so once you find a better way to deal with life, why go back?\n\nBut people don't understand that you felt you hadn't any other options. They jump
698991
I'm not sure what the joke is or was but cutting isn't a funny thing.  It's very serious.  I'm a cutter and get very upset when someone makes fun of it.  I'm on your side.
128689
Usually someone who cuts herself is doing it to block out other pain in her life.  The pain from the cut is easier to bear than the emotional pain the young person is suffering.  It is hard to understand, but often the cutting actually makes them feel better.  It is an unhealthy way of coping with life.  It is mostly young females who cut themselves.  It is a cry for help, and sometimes a cry for attention.  Dramatic reaction to the cutting can lead to more cutting to get the reaction.  It can be habit forming.  Believe it or not, there are groups among young people who consider it "cool" to cut.\n\nCheck out http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/cutting.html which may give you some ideas.  \n\nAn Internet search about it will give you lots of websites to check out.  YOu may need help to deal with this.  Can you contact a high school guidance counselor for example?  He or she may have lots of information on this topic.\n\nI hope this helps.  Good luck with your work, and God bless.
334643
No you are not weird for doing this. There are, it seems, quite a few people on here who do. The reason most people self harm is because they haven't found a way to self sooth. Like when we were kids and had our favorite blankie or stuffed animal. Some where along the way we forgot how to sooth ourselves in a good way. I believe many people self harm because they lack assertiveness. Being able to tell people how you really feel without feeling guilty or worrying your going to hurt them is important in allowing your feelings out instead of holding them in and hurting yourself. Don't be ashamed of your scars, if they are still there years later, once you have stopped someday, look them and it can be a reminder of where you were and where you will never go again.