Self - harm: Why do people always cut themselves?

ryanairzer

I don't get it. There are so many great self-injury methods, many which don't even have long-term effects, so why do people like cutting themselves?

Rhiannon14

It's the long term effects that many cutters crave. Scars in particular are often sought.

Lil' Smiler

I suppose people deal with different things in different ways..

digitally-yours

self revenge may be ?

its a weird one. I

don't think I ever wanted to harm my self.

star-pants

Some people seem to find the pain a release... almost like if you were boiling over with anger yelling helps vent. Not the best analogy..
Or I guess if you're going through a lot of emotional pain... it's better to see physical pain.. something that hurts and can be seen... and can heal ...rather than something in your head or heart hurting but you can't see it to nurse it.

I'm sure even people who do selfharm aren't quite sure.

Reku

Cuts happen people anyway, so self inflicted ones are easily explained away and there are some tricks to make them appear as though nothing more than scratches and welts.
Lighter burns are kinda hard to explain away unless you're a smoker.
Acid/caustic burns EXTREMELY hard to expliain away.
Bruises again, not easy to explain away.

So cuts can both be made to be less noticeable and can be easily spoofed as to where you got them, this is probably why they are the most popular method of self harm regardless of long term effects.

Dave!

For attention

Lil' Smiler

Was waiting for someone to say that...

Degsy

For the crack,usually when completely pissed and with no desire to kill oneself.Bones heal and chicks dig scars

Karl Hungus

star-pants wrote: »

Some people seem to find the pain a release... almost like if you were boiling over with anger yelling helps vent. Not the best analogy..

I'd think it'd be more like someone punch a wall, or putting their fist through a window than just yelling.

prendy

bit off topic but along the same lines...
i always wonder what pushes people to try heroin?i can understand cocaine/estasy etc but wtf makes people think heroin is or could be a good idea?????

star-pants

Karl Hungus wrote: »

I'd think it'd be more like someone punch a wall, or putting their fist through a window than just yelling.

Yes that is a much better analogy -- thank you Karl

Degsy

prendy wrote: »

bit off topic but along the same lines...
i always wonder what pushes people to try heroin?i can understand cocaine/estasy etc but wtf makes people think heroin is or could be a good idea?????

Usually as a result of peer pressure.Typically most users will start off smokeing cannabis,maybe take a few tranquilisers or barbituates,move on to amphetamine,ecstasy or whatever is available locally and if none of those is available and heroin is..there it goes.
In the last ten years a lot of people started smoking heroin to come down after anight's taking e..cannabis wont help you sleep the same way.Do this for a few months and they start getting hooked.A few months or so of smoking it and you start skin-popping,its not the optimum way to get a hit so most people move on to injecting.

griffdaddy

The way i feel on Sunday mornings after a session can only be described as self harm:o

Dragan

DaveMcG wrote: »

For attention

By and large, yes.

But often times it's not that simple. For a lot of folk its because there are struggling with things on the inside, but lack the ability to communicate those feelings.

This frustrations leads to seeking not only an edge that pain brings, but also a way to indicate "look, i want you to see me and realise something is wrong."

Degsy

I used to do it for the crack.

Dragan

Degsy wrote: »

I used to do it for the crack.

I walk into the gym ever day and walk out in pain. When i'm sparring or lucky enough to have a session of BJJ with a mate I love the pain of it.

I like the occasional slap during sex.

It's all self harming and it's all done for kicks.

Stark

ryanairzer wrote:

I don't get it. There are so many great self-injury methods, many which don't even have long-term effects, so why do people like cutting themselves?

Because the blood feels oh so warm.

connundrum

digitally-yours wrote: »

I

don't think I ever wanted to harm my self.

I remember as a kid wanting to get back at my parents for something trivial, so I decided I'd hold my breath until I died - I honestly thought it'd work. 2 mins and one blue face later I was proven wrong, and went back to watching the Simpsons.

Gekko

have to agree with star pants, I think it's an attempt to externalise the internal emotional pain they're feeling

MysticalSoul

As a former sufferer, it is truly complex. For year, for reasons I won't go into here, I could not physically cry, felt so much inner turmoil, and the self harm was the only way I could find the release I needed. And no, you can't always hide it, as people generally do ask "what happened". It takes over, there comes a time where it becomes a compulsion, like an addiction in itself. For me, when I allowed myself and was able to, and had a safe environment to figure out my emotions etc, I was then able to learn better coping mechanisms.

Gran Hermano

Why self-cutting? Maybe self burning is too smelly...

Crumble Froo

irishamethyst wrote: »

As a former sufferer, it is truly complex. For year, for reasons I won't go into here, I could not physically cry, felt so much inner turmoil, and the self harm was the only way I could find the release I needed. And no, you can't always hide it, as people generally do ask "what happened". It takes over, there comes a time where it becomes a compulsion, like an addiction in itself. For me, when I allowed myself and was able to, and had a safe environment to figure out my emotions etc, I was then able to learn better coping mechanisms.

nicely phrased

and whoever twas that said twas about the attention, i'd have to disagree to a point, a lot of people will go to huuuuuuge lengths to hide their scars.

ryanairzer

prendy wrote: »

bit off topic but along the same lines...
i always wonder what pushes people to try heroin?i can understand cocaine/estasy etc but wtf makes people think heroin is or could be a good idea?????

I would like to try heroin at some point in my life.

ryanairzer

ryanairzer wrote: »

I would like to try heroin at some point in my life.

Try speedballing!Deadly buzzz!haha:rolleyes:

ryanairzer

Deleted User wrote: »

Try speedballing!Deadly buzzz!haha:rolleyes:

That seems dangerous tbh.

Peyton Manning

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/grayantimatter/funny/remember_kids.jpg

Stark

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/HowTo:_Be_an_Emo

the pain can be an external focus to release all the inner turmoil and pressure, as someone said
I suppose

there's attention too but that's a different story

Reku

narco wrote: »

and whoever twas that said twas about the attention, i'd have to disagree to a point, a lot of people will go to huuuuuuge lengths to hide their scars.

Agree, and this is why I brought up the point of difficulty in explaining away any marks as to why people would choose to cut themselves over other methods.
While some may do it for attention, there are many who do it because it's the only way they can cope with their feelings, they're not likely to let on to any other than a few close friends because of the way they are likely to either be viewed as attentionseekers or mental defectives.

TheMilkyPirate

DaveMcG wrote: »

For attention

I'm guessing you haven't experienced or witnessed it first hand. Of the few people i knew who cut themselves, They would go to every length to hide the scars and cuts. Although even though i don't know i suppose sometimes it could be for attention.

prendy wrote: »

bit off topic but along the same lines...
i always wonder what pushes people to try heroin?i can understand cocaine/estasy etc but wtf makes people think heroin is or could be a good idea?????

Curiosity. When you start taking drugs you learn more about other drugs. Heroin being one, You become interested and eventually you may take it. It's called experimenting with drugs. sometimes the experiment doesn't go so well for some people. And just a question, But how can you understand cocaine and ecstasy but not heroin? have you taken any of them? If not i don't see how you can be fit to make such a comment. Cocaine and ecstasy can be just as bad, More so cocaine.

ryanairzer wrote: »

I would like to try heroin at some point in my life.

As would i. Don't know if i ever will. Pure personal choice, Call me stupid or ignorant if you must. I don't care.

Giblet

I think it's more for attention. Cutting the tops of your arms with a sharp enough object doesn't usually hurt that much. Most people I've seen do it never went deep. Some girl I knew cut her arms, three lads (including myself) cut a slice into our arms to take the piss out of her. Horrible I know, but it didn't hurt at all. (Us anyway, hahaha)

TheMilkyPirate

Giblet wrote: »

Some girl I knew cut her arms, three lads (including myself) cut a slice into our arms to take the piss out of her. Horrible I know, but it didn't hurt at all. (Us anyway, hahaha)

Are you that low?

Hudson4ever

I have often read that it is subconciously motivated by a desire to replace emotional pain caused by feelings of inadequacy with physical pain which is easier to deal with.....

I don't know about that though, I used to do it because blood is evil and I have to get it out of me, any other reason is a bit creepy in my opinion

Giblet

baraca wrote: »

Are you that low?

She was a complete c-u-next-tuesday attention whore who caused nothing but trouble.

sMILIE

here only KUNTS do it for attention nd only KUNTS think its all for attention
de rare reel time its for attention is an attempt for serious help,, a last resort kinda cry for help

sMILIE

Hudson4ever wrote: »

I have often read that it is subconciously motivated by a desire to replace emotional pain caused by feelings of inadequacy with physical pain which is easier to deal with.....

I don't know about that though, I used to do it because blood is evil and I have to get it out of me, any other reason is a bit creepy in my opinion

:)

mawk

people cut themselves instead of different more original because they dont think very long and hard about it.

the kind of people who generally do this are young hormonally ridden teens and they dont have the sense to think around the heuristic method of reaching for a blade.


its generally a pretty in the moment thing, at least the first time. after that... you just go with what you know

Terry

sMILIE wrote: »

here only KUNTS do it for attention nd only KUNTS think its all for attention
de rare reel time its for attention is an attempt for serious help,, a last resort kinda cry for help

Less of the txt spk, please.

pretty-in-pink

This is in AH, and there has been practically no pisstakiing?

eople do it to release pain, and mostly in secret. I don't know anyone who would talk about it while they do it. There are lots of ways to escape the emotional issues- promiscuitity, drugs, self harm, eating disorders, drinking to much. All of which can be written off as other stuff, and are easy to hide in the context of this thread.

its rarely for attention......

Giblet

Giblet wrote: »

I think it's more for attention. Cutting the tops of your arms with a sharp enough object doesn't usually hurt that much. Most people I've seen do it never went deep.

lol.
That's because you saw them.
You have no idea about the ones you didn't see because they hid it.

pretty-in-pink

bluewolf wrote: »

lol.
That's because you saw them.
You have no idea about the ones you didn't see because they hid it.

+1

TheMilkyPirate

Giblet wrote: »

She was a complete c-u-next-tuesday attention whore who caused nothing but trouble.

I suppose, There is people like that. My ex-girlfriend for example, Exactly the kind of person you described.

sMILIE wrote: »

here only KUNTS do it for attention nd only KUNTS think its all for attention
de rare reel time its for attention is an attempt for serious help,, a last resort kinda cry for help

+1

pretty-in-pink wrote: »

This is in AH, and there has been practically no pisstakiing?

Rightly so, It's a very touchy issue even though AH isn't the most serious place in the world

pretty-in-pink

Touchy? Appropriate...

no really its a serious issue, so surprised its not in PI

KdjaCL

ryanairzer wrote: »

I don't get it. There are so many great self-injury methods, many which don't even have long-term effects, so why do people like cutting themselves?

too hard to give yourself a chinese burn?



kdjac

Pinker

prendy wrote: »

bit off topic but along the same lines...
i always wonder what pushes people to try heroin?i can understand cocaine/estasy etc but wtf makes people think heroin is or could be a good idea?????

Curiosity, it was for me...just the once, and snapped out of it, same with some mates...although one or two never snapped out out of it...We grew up in a decent area, the better side of town by far....

Had we grown up in more socio-economically disadvantaged area where Heroin was easily come by and more people were into it we may not have been so lucky...

What makes you think, drinking, smoking, cocaine, or esctacy are good ideas?

Karl Hungus

pretty-in-pink wrote: »

This is in AH, and there has been practically no pisstakiing?

Yeah, I'm very suprised at the mature responses here, especially for After Hours.

Dudess

pretty-in-pink wrote: »

This is in AH, and there has been practically no pisstakiing?

God, there's been plenty of piss-taking. In fact the thread itself is a piss-take. The OP didn't ask why people self-harm, he/she asked why people choose to cut themselves when there are many other methods of self-harm.
This is the same person who started the following thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055164020

tech77

star-pants wrote: »

Some people seem to find the pain a release... almost like if you were boiling over with anger yelling helps vent. Not the best analogy..
Or I guess if you're going through a lot of emotional pain... it's better to see physical pain.. something that hurts and can be seen... and can heal ...rather than something in your head or heart hurting but you can't see it to nurse it.

I'm sure even people who do selfharm aren't quite sure.

I'd have to agree with the above.
It seems to be a conversion of emotional pain (which is just too difficult to deal with) into physical pain which is more familiar and easier to master.

When a degree of control over the physical pain is achieved i'm guessing it alleviates underlying emotional pain by proxy (albeit in a poor way).

I think the attention comments are a bit glib TBH.
The attention thing is definitely a component in some instances i would say but probably less important than the above.

The attention thing itself could possibly be seen as an atypical way of communicating one's emotional turmoil (instead of the usual methods of talking it out etc which may again be too difficult).

Edit: I'm guessing then after a while self-harm becomes addictive in itself (release of endorphins etc) and becomes an end in itself.

Black Swan

ryanairzer wrote: »

, so why do people like cutting themselves?

An obvious cry for help?

Not me, altho I had to have 5 stitches once for getting sloppy during sword training.

ShiverinEskimo

Dragan wrote: »

I walk into the gym ever day and walk out in pain. When i'm sparring or lucky enough to have a session of BJJ with a mate I love the pain of it.

I like the occasional slap during sex.

It's all self harming and it's all done for kicks.

I don't think lactic acid build up or getting a box off a sparring partner, or a slap on the arse for good sex is self-harm. For one you're not harming yourself in the ring or in the sack your opponent/partner is doing the harm.

Both practices of going to the gym and getting in a ring have clear objectivity - and both are methods of self-improvement. Getting fitter/being a better fighter. The pain you receive makes you wanna be better, its constructive pain, not destructive pain. I love playing football but come home limping - but with a great feeling - "good hard or go home" satisfaction. Quite different from the pain received from slicing your arm up for kicks I imagine.