Self - harm: Why do people always cut themselves?

Reku

tech77 wrote: »

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.

I think a large part of why it works is the mind's wiring to focus on the more recent and more threatening source of pain, as a physical wound is far more life threatening than emotional pain the mind shuffles that (the emotional pain) to the back to focus on the pain from the self inflicted injury.
Don't know if it becomes addictive so much as you become reliant, can't say I ever felt a release of endorphines, just pain, but when you find a way to cope with life that works you tend to stick with it.

Ghost Train

Is it just me or is it more girls that are into the whole cutting thing, I know guys do it, but just most times I've come across somebody who does it or used to do, they've been female.

Dragan

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

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.

You'd think so wouldn't you? But then you find yourself purposefully leaving openings, walking into shots, looking for a bit of blood to liven things up.

I'm not saying it's a similar thing to "cutting" but at the end of the day i'm chasing pain.

Go figure.

Reku

eolhc wrote: »

Is it just me or is it more girls that are into the whole cutting thing, I know guys do it, but just most times I've come across somebody who does it or used to do, they've been female.

Probably just that more girls admit to it, just like more girls admit to having cried at a funeral, or other such admissions of showing "emotional weakness" (bunny fingers as I don't really see such as emotional weakness).

cloud493

This is a pretty old thread but... the amount of ignorance here from most people is rather silly, even if it is 5 years ago.

44leto

simple really. Emotional pain is much stronger and more hopeless then physical pain. The cutting gives a distraction from that pain.

cloud493

Thats quite true, not simple, but true. I just think that saying 'I do it for the craic' and some of the links posted are ridiculous, and offensive.

Leeg17

Z..z...zombie thread