Bragging?!

[Its Hard To Say]

Okay, I'm sure some of you guys out there have at least 2 people at school who actually BRAG about cutting themselves!

 

It really bugs me, to no end actually... they have the nerve to be like:

 

"Oh yeah well I cut myself last night"

"Yeah... but I cut myself 3 times and look how deep"

"No! I'm a worse cutter than you are!"

 

 

omg... they should just shut up! Since when did hurting ones self become popular?And they do it because its a trend now I suppose. Attention sponges...

 

Sorry I just have to vent about this. So many people do this and they have to problems in there life what so ever.....

 

Yeah, anyone else have this happen?

 

 

***It's Hard To Say***

[Serendipity1607307077]

Yes, there are some people who want people to feel sorry for them... it is frustrating because then people think that all people who cut themselves are showing off about it... and ignore them.

 

But there are also those that do genuinely need help... but don't realise that they need help, know what I mean?

[Its Hard To Say]

Yeah I guess. But it give people who actually do it because they have to a bad name.(If that makes sense) when people try to reach out to others they'll think nothing of it. Just as attention getters. Its really annoying though.

[human_wreckage]

agh. I can't stand it when people do that. There are a few people that do that at my school. As a former cutter, it really makes me sick to see people showing off their cuts. I'm embarrassed by mine. I can't believe it has become a trend and a popular thing to do.

This is a bit unrelated, but not too much so. What also gets to me is when people who DO NOT cut for attention, have some of their cuts noticed by some ignorant person and that person goes and tells everyone "look, he cuts himself" or something of the sort.

[Jinx]

One Word: Taboo.

 

Now past that one word segment I will explain my idea on this. As I observe people, it seems there are some which put an emphasis on social taboos as a way of getting desired attention. Attention is a wonderful experience for some people even if it is attention out of disapproval. It goes along with the whole psychological principal of reinforcement and so forth. I wrote a reply in Suicide forum under the topic "Suicide Addiction" if I'm correct that explained about this whole reinforcement positive negative attention and so forth.

 

See, in most cases, when someone says - "I'm cutting." - Ding dong goes the bell in the heads of most other people "Thats horrible. How can someone do that to themself. They need help." thereforeeee either physical or verbal attention is given. Whether it is a grimace through disgust or uncomfortable body language being near that person as though it were catchy (physical), OR, another person tells them they're a freak, need help, tries to talk to them about their problems among any other possible statement (verbal).

 

It is the same in the light of when a person brags about topics they shouldn't because they're either a "So what" -or- "Why are you telling me/showing me this" sort.

Examples being:

 

Drugs. Some people brag about being Crack Heads.

 

Gay or Lesbian. Some will make out with a friend in a non commited manner and brag about it.

 

Sex. Some people brag about when they've been out with a prostitute.

 

There are hundreds of things, those I've listed are only a few on the very very generalized topic of odd things people will brag about to get attention. Its a social taboo, and people will give attention unknowing about the fact of what they're reinforcing. See, I can understand say if a person was seeking help and wanted to quit cutting and told people. Now this, the reason I speak of it as I do, just seems to be a attention grabber method and nothing much more than that. It could be a cry for help, but unfortunately, it isn't going to go over in their favor forever.

 

I hate being so nonchalant about self injury because it is a serious topic but for these individuals I say, they'll have a new hobby in a couple months.

[Finchabald]

it's true that it can be frustrating. They see it as some form of a sick fashion statement. However dont be to quick to accuse them of something. Some people who show of their cuts can be hurting as much or even more than you. They can hide it away deep inside. Just try to ignore them.

[habitual_loser]

Don't read into it so much. In some settings people brag about how much homework they have. "Dude, I've got three papers and a problem set due in 14 hours and I haven't slept in three days except during Differential Equations lecture and Roman History recitations!" "Oh yeah? My dog died half an hour ago and if I don't score a perfect tomorrow on this class I never attend I'm going to fail the class!" It's not that they like homework, it's just a weird social thing. Misery loves company.

 

Not to say that the cutting isn't a problem or that you're wrong for taking offense at it.

[Moon Goddess]

Their are people in my school who do that and it does annoy me because I used to cut for good reasons and then suddenly hurting yourself become the latest trend? It annoys me seeing people hurt themselfs just to prove they can or just to have something to talk about. AGH WHY HURT YOURSELF FOR ATTENTION!!!

[Nkaleidoscopic]

Sometimes when you have a friend that cuts you have a natrual tendency to get competitive. I know once I say a generously deep scar and i kept wanting to get a deeper one. I eventually did and it almost cost me my life. Later, a boyfriend that used to cut saw the scar. Immediately he told me how many scars he had and he had alot of bad ones. I thought for the worst that he was competing with me so I told him that his looked much worse than anything Ive ever seen and he stopped cutting.

 

I didn't lie, I didn't really care. I don't think I even saw his ''bad'' ones.

 

I think it's natrual to be competetive .. I know I was .. and I've seen others be.

 

noemi.

[Nkaleidoscopic]

verbally, though, can be very irritating I'm sure .. though I havent ever really witnessed/done it.

[pizzachick13]

I've had friends that would actually copy me and then brag about it. That really annoyed me, but the bragging of just normal cutter [if there is such a thing] was also very annoying.

 

Sappho...

[sprawl]

The human body has a very complex response to pain and I think that's what drives me sometimes. Whether the pain comes from new piercings, cutting or just doing pushups until I collapse there's something comforting about knowing that I'm in control of the pain.

 

It's possible that other people feel the same way and bragging about cutting is showing off how much control they have over themselves.

[Kamue]

i have seen a lot of that too. it is annoying, but again, people like attention. its kinda this new age fad because back in the pre 80's balemia was the fad. what will come next?

[_hopeless_]

I absolutly hate that. At my school it's now the 'emo' thing to do and people make fun of cutting and brag about it and it's *CENSORED**CENSORED**CENSORED**CENSORED*. When people found out I cut myself they thought it was just for attention which it certainly was not and it just made the problem worse

[blink182rocks988]

It really bugs me when people brag about cutting themselves..... i cut but dont brag, only 2 people know. 1 by accident, the other i talk to about it..

[estelle]

theya re either attention seeking because they are emo kids, or they are trying to get people to know what they are doing so they can get help. i understand how it can make others feel when people go around "bragging" about their self harm, but if they just want help, people ignoring them is just going to make them feel worse about themself. Talk to them or get a teacher to talk to them so they can get to the bottom of their behaviour, they can get help or be told they are not to say things like that in the school environment. good luck