Why, and How does it help?

[Lost1n7heDark]

Just out of curiosity, I'm just wondering why people start cutting, and how it helps them. One of my good friends know that I cut and asked me why and how it helps. And I was just wondering how others who do the same would answer to that.

 

I do it because of the way I grew up. Mostly my family and "friends", and the people I grew up with. And the biggest part of it was possibly self-loathing. I have a rather big problem with that, says my friend, but I don't really agree.

 

I feel a bit calmer and more serene after I cut, the pain, blood and scars seem to soothe me in a strange way. And it helps because it keeps me from doing anything more dangerously stupid. Although cutting isn't really far from dangerous.

 

What about you guys?

[whathappensnext]

ok well personaly i believe it takes a good friend to tell you things that they think might be your problem. i haven't really done it in a while, but honestly i think i might have done more harm than good. i always got into fights with close friends.i did it cuz i hate hurting people and even when i didn't i felt like i did. i felt like i needed to hurt myself cuz i hurt others. and it calmed me down. feeling, seeing, and beliving i was still alive i guess was my motive.it ruined most of my friendships.

[pizzachick13]

this is the reason i did it

 

link removed

 

it helped me by making me feel something... less numb than i already was

 

Sappho...

[Kurodashi]

For me it was to have release.

I felt all my emotions and feeling sbuilding up inside me. Anger, self hate, depression... all building up. didnt want to cry anymore.

I tried to be tough and after hurting myself I felt like I had put my pain into something and it was released.

 

It doesnt work though, the feelings come back to haunt you and never really heal when you do. Its better to just be weak and cry...

[archaicsmurf]

I cut because it's the only pain I can control. I start because I had no control over the bad things that were happening in my life. Everything in my life was falling apart. I had no idea what to do. I had all this fear and helplessness to deal with. I control when the pain stops and starts and how much pain there is when I cut. It makes you feel like you've done something to help. Also, the physical pain takes your mind off of the mental burdens that ail you... It's different for different people.

[dpressedone89]

I started out of frusteration and got addicted, i used to do it ack before i even knew what it was, then every time it took a little less to set me off until i got to the point i was doing it as a compulsion. it helped by distracting me from my problems if only for an instant, in the long run iit made things much much worse

-stitches

[Finchabald]

well many people cut to calm themselves. This Is because it releases hormones called endorphines which give you a feeling of well being. Others may cut because it helps to show others that they are in pain inside. And then there are the soulless little f***s that cut simply to draw attention from others who need or deserve it.

[Lost1n7heDark]

I definitely agree with you, Finchabald. I've heard of people who do it because it's some kind of trend. And I think that really bothers me like ARGH because there are people who do it because it's their only way of survival, and they're doing cause it's "cool". If I ever meet anyone like that, I'm gonna......

 

Thanks everyone for replying. Please, keep posting if you have something you'd like to say about the beginning topic.

[imagi]

I'm trying to think of what started it. Before I had started to cut, I had been zoning out.. being numb and such. I really just wanted to feel something, I hated feeling all the pain, rage, self-loathing etc, and there happened to be a broken piece of glass around the one day that I happened to slip into this.. 'trance' type thing. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

[Millerm]

instead of cutting i dont eat.

[anonymous_presence]

Do the motives behind cutting really need to be as serious as survival? I understand that people who cut themselves because it's a fad or because they want to engrave things on their skin are kind of... well, I'll spare any harsh words. But really, they aren't considered cutters, per se. Doesn't cutting, by definition, involve some sort of intent to harm one's self (not just following some trend)?

 

I just think that people who do it aren't all in hopeless situations... That not everyone who cuts has to have been abused at some point in their life. It has to do with having the mentality that would allow someone to hurt themselves, so I think people shouldn't say that cutters need valid reasons to do what they do, because more often than not, cutters themselves don't truly know why, and by saying that they're just stealing attention from others makes them feel ashamed (more than they are).