I have a question about people who cut themselves?
Question:
But do you think that a good few of them dont?
When i was 8 i started battling eating disorders, by age 11 i started cutting myself, & I tried to commit suicide at age 13.
When i tell people that i used to cut myself i always get the feeling that they think i did it for attention. I was seriously mentally ill though; suffering from depression.
I never did it to 'numb my pain' or anything like that. I did it because i hated who i was and felt like dying.
How can i convince people that i never did it for attention?
Answers:
you shouldn't have to indulge others on your personal history anyways. you know why you did it, and that's all that matters. don't worry about other people, and if they don't believe you, who gives a crap. but if you really need to convince, just tell them exactly what you said: "i never did it to numb my pain or anything like that, i did it because i hated who i was and i felt like dying." maybe not in those words exactly, but you get what i mean. i'm glad that you've moved on from that stage in your life. life is so beautiful and wonderful. good luck to you! peace.
there's really no real way to convince people otherwise...if you try to explain it, maybe you'll get lucky and someone will see where you're coming from, but unfortunately, a lot of people see mental illness and the like in a certain manner, and it's pretty difficult to get them to change their mind..
and also, all that really matters is that YOU know why you did it, and that you found a healthy alternative to said behavior.it doesn't really matter what people think, because they're not the ones who had to go through it, but you did.
I am always amazed as to how many people post o here about cutting. With that said, I would like to share with you some things.
First of all, people who do not self harm are just not going to understand .Secondly, self harm is normally kept private. People typically are not attention seekers, and are doing it to feel better, and to cope.
They often feel a deep hatred for themselves too and need to punish themselves. It is mostly done out of survival then suicide.
i do not know id you still hurt yourself or not, and i hope you have a good support system to help you.
I do not know the people you need to convince about your cutting, but really feel like it is not their business. If it is your parents or people who really care about you and love you, then keep talking honestly about it . That is if you are ready to.
As for everybody else, they are going to think what they want anyway.
if you had cut yourself at the wrist from left to right: you did it for attention(or you were really pissed at you hand movements, and wanted to kill off your hands)
if you cut your fore-arm from wrist to the end of your fore-arm: you really wanted to die
also if you did want to die you should've been found by someone before you died, not ended the bleeding yourself
-i do not know what you did this is just the proper way of doing this (yes there actually is a proper way, i actually knew a kid who used to cut on top of his fore-arm.what a dumbass/attention whore)
personally i don't care what people want to do, you gotta really hit rock bottom to justify something like this. (not as in doing a **** load of drugs and being a month behind on your rent)
*****again, i'm not saying this to you personally, i'm merely speaking in general*************
Very few people who cut do it for attention. There are numerous reasons, including the one that you gave; here's a sample from one of my previous posts:
There are multiple reasons why people self-mutilate and each case needs to be explored individually. The most common reason is that it occurs in order to induce a dissociative state and assists people who have been traumatized with achieving a state of emotional numbness and you hear it described as soothing for them. The physiological basis for it stems from the release of endorphins-the brain's natural painkillers-which function much like opiates and dull the experience of emotional pain. Other reasons include the opposite rationale-people who feel numb emotionally and who have shut down will self-mutilate in order to feel something and remember they are alive. Some people, particularly those who are in abusive situations, injure themselves as a way to exert control over when and how the pain is experienced. Others do it for self-punishment and feel relief from guilt or shame and see the letting of blood as a way to purge themselves of guilt. It may be a way of re-enacting and attempting to master early traumatic experiences This often happens during a dissociative state where people are recalling experiences which were traumatizing and they feel a need to punish/purge themselves for what they often mistakenly believe they have done wrong. There are also folks who do it as a way to cope with unrelenting chronic physical pain from other sources as it creates an alternative pain that distracts them from the chronic pain (think of the principle behind how a TENS unit works). In more rare instances it can be a response to psychotic states where folks are responding to command hallucinations or believe they are purging themselves from some evil inside them. There are other less common reasons, depending on the form of self-mutilation (eye enucleation, castration, etc.) that tend to be symbolic in nature. But most commonly it is done in response to increased feelings of tension with which the individual cannot cope and it becomes a way for them to dissociate their emotional pain and achieve an emotional numbing. The goal of treatment is to fully understand the reasons that sustain the behavior and in the latter case (the most common) to help people develop affect tolerance and the ability to cope with and soothe their emotional pain in healthier ways.
Don't worry about those people who assume they know why you did it and don't take the time to understand it from your perspective. They aren't worth wasting your energy on as the only ones who will get it are those people who want to understand and are willing to listen and ask questions.
Sounds like you are doing well nowadays-that's great! Keep the faith!
Im 18 and I used to cut, i recently stopped but i never did it for attention i just was always depressed and hated living, in fact, nobody knew that i did it. i really never wore short sleeves. I dont think that many people cut for attention. I guess you shouldnt have to convince people, but if you feel you need to then tell them briefly that it was a private thing you did and that you didnt go around and flaunt it. I donno this is a hard question because people are going to have a pre-decieved opinion on it no matter what you say. Its tough, i know.
hey well i cut my self to and imonly telling u this cuz i know im never gonna meet any one on here in real life so iv never told any one that i cut but if u tell them that u cut then they are gonna thinkits for attention so just explain that it was not for attention i relaly dontknow i dont eaven know why im answering this well hope it get better i guess bye
Why Do People Self-Injure?
The Purpose Self-Injury Serves
The alteration or destruction of body tissue may be regarded on its surface (both literally and figuratively) as a morbid behavior on the one hand, and as a self-help behavior on the other (Favazza and Conterio 1988). We all have methods of coping with stress, whether it is emotional, physical or psychological. Coping is a behavior, which an individual utilizes to get through stressful, and difficult times as best they can. And sometimes the methods we use are extreme, perhaps excessive in comparison to the original stress. Self-injury is an example of an extreme method, but a method that, nonetheless, serves its purpose. Mentally ill self-injurers have an increased risk of suicide, although self-injury itself in not a failed attempt at suicide. It is frequently mistaken for a suicidal gesture, but there is a clear distinction between repetitive self- injury and suicide attempts. Self-injury is intended not to kill, but rather to relieve unbearable emotional pain and many survivors regard it, paradoxically, as a form of self-preservation (Herman 1992). The reasoning behind self-injury is diverse and by no means the same for all self- injurers. Self-injurers may give a single reason for their behavior, but, more commonly, their reasons are multiple and sometimes, on the surface, seemingly conflicting.
1. RELIEF FROM OVERWHELMING EMOTIONS
2. PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONAL PAIN
3. UNREALITY, NUMBNESS, AND DISSOCIATION
4. SELF-PUNISHMENT AND SELF-HATE
5. SELF-NURTURING
You may never be able to try to convince people of the fact that you did not do it for attention. I will tell you this, your feelings are real and you have them they are your experience, and I want you to know that you matter. I am the Mother of a son who cuts himself. His feelings are real whatever they may be. You dont have to convince anybody of that.!Sometimes all we ever want is to be loved and to love others. We all have pain in our lives,no matter who we are, and we all deal with things differently!
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