Are you harming yourself?

Question

I am developing a self help web site dealing with the most commonly asked questions on this site. Sadly there seems to be more and more young people that are cutting or harming themselves in other ways.. and I think my site will be able to help but I need help from you. I need to know why you are doing this?, what you feel?, what you are trying to achieve by harming yourself?, what kind of help have you had ?- does your parents know?, do you want them to know?....... I assure you that I will do my best to help in everyway I can. The site will be up and running soon - so please help me with this very serious problem....thanks

Thanks for the answers so far... but if you are going to repond you need to tell me about your condition etc and not just "yes I am harming myself"

If you do not want to post your reply here then email on [e-mail]

Answers have been more than helpful - site will up and running within a few days now.....hang on in there

Answer 1

I did and have found a better way. I already have a website and support group. From someone who has been there. My IM is lighthouse_halo

Answer 2

I cut my arm with a razor blade sometimes. For a while I was doing it almost every day, sometimes even more than once in a day, but I haven't cut in about four days. Then, I've stopped before and ended up starting again, so I don't know. I've not told anyone in real life, and a wear long sleeved tops when I have cuts so no one sees. As I've not told anyone at all I've definitely not had "help" of any kind really. I don't want my parents to know because they'd be disappointed, but I maybe want someone else to know, but I'm not sure who.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to achieve by cutting, or exactly why I do it. Sometimes when I cut I imagine someone seeing my arm and helping me, or maybe even just a hug or something, so I guess maybe it's kind of for attention in a way, but then the next day I'm too shy to let anyone see. Other times I'll feel like I'm crying inside but for some reason I can't really cry, and cutting sort of makes what I'm feeling inside come out, I guess kind of like crying does. And the other reason I cut is because I did something stupid and am angry at myself and cutting is a sort of punishment. But alot of times I'm not really even sure why I do it, I just do.

Answer 3

I am now 31. The earliest I can remember cutting myself is when I was 12. So, I guess that's when I started. I hate the fact that I did it and the sad part is, I still do at times. But I haven't for months. My mom used to hit me a lot and tell me everything was my fault and I couldn't do anything right and I needed to be punised. I hate my mom and I love her at the same time.

I mainly have the urge to cut myself or hurt myself in other ways when I am rejected by someone I love. I usually resist these urges and pray. I do not tell anybody besides my therapist because I don't want pity. They wouldn't know what to say or how to help anyway. They'd just say, "Don't do that. You're worth more than that." And I know all that already. It doesn't take the urge away to hear that. However, addressing the source of the urge does.

When I am rejected by someone I love, I also turn on myself and I remember when my mom used to hit me all the time and say everything was my fault. And then I act on those thoughts to hurt myself. It is a very dark, morbid moment that I really like to avoid. I wish it wasn't inside me but I don't know how to cut it out. All I know is harming myself ony makes this dark place grow. I believe God's love will remove it. My heart goes out to all others that try to hurt themselves and I just try to be there for them as I would want someone to be there for me.

Also, when I cut myself, there is a feeling of euphoria, which I also don't like to think about. I'd like to say that I don't experience this. I am not proud of it. I'd like to say I've never done this. I'd also like to say I'm not an alcoholic and have never abused my body in any way and that I can't even relate to any of this. But I really cannot afford to hide in beautiful lies. I am a woman and I can handle the truth, even if it is painful. There is only honor in that.

The sad thing is, my son also likes to hurt himself and he is only 5. He bangs his head against the wall and he bites himself on his arms. When I see him do this, I get really sad and tell him I love him and ask him to please not do that because it hurts me.
His father and I are going through a custody suit and his father has custody of him right now. I think this is what is causing him to do it. I have never hurt myself in front of him since he was a baby. So, I don't think he learned it from me. I don't know if genetics plays a role or not.

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

I used to cut myself when I was younger and was very depressed. (I admit) The reason I did it the first time was for attention. Eventually I no longer cared for the attention and did it be cause it "felt good" to me. It "felt good" because it numbed my mind for a bit. I'd focus on the physical pain rather than the emotional pain I was currently dealing with. Which ultimately caused me to be addicted to cutting. My parents never knew about it since I covered up the cuts and told lies on where the cuts came from. I never really received any help from this habit but I did have friends trying to convince me to stop--but they failed every time. As time went by I became more mature and realized what I was doing wasn't going to help me in anyway and that it'd make things much worse for me as time goes by. This habit could lead me onto doing other destructive things in life. Another reason I stopped cutting was because there was no longer has the same affects for me as it did before.

I guess I'm just lucky that I stopped on my own. I know it's not the case for many other people when it comes to things like that. I feel, that a lot of times, they just need someone who will understand them. Especially someone who understood why they were doing it and why it felt good to them instead of just saying "it's bad, dont do it" because chances are, most of us, are highly aware of the fact that it's harmful but we don't really care. It upsetted me a lot of times when people would say that 'cause I (personally) wanted was to be understood.

Well, good luck with that website! If you'd like to ask me about anything else feel free to do so!

Answer 5

I harm myself by cutting. I have been cutting for 2 years. I need help but I'm afraid to tell my parents. Because I don't want them to put me a crazy house or something.

Answer 6

well i dont do tht stuff but i know alot of kids that do... its mostly from all the stress at school at some peoples homes and when they cut them selfs it makes them focus on diffrent pain and forget about there mental pain. some other kids do it because they dont fit in.... ithink its great that ur makeing a site about this it could really help alot im 13 and a butt load of kids at mi school do this and i think if they saw dis site they might stop! ur the best!! i wanna no they name of the site so i can see it!!!

Answer 7

from what Ive learned people cut themselves due to not being able to control situations that have effected them in the past/ Present. Abuse is happening to our children more now a days then ever before. When one cuts themselves its a punishment given to themselves by them. That's the only way I can think to explain to you.

Answer 8

My daughter use to cut up her arms when she was in middle school. Middle school is harder for kids than elementary and high school. Why? that is the age to develop self acceptance. She had a very hard time , with social skills and being accepted with the peers. People who self abuse themselves have a hard time accepting themselves. It is consider self hatred and they harm them selves. It's like a punishment to their own being. It's like saying, I am going to punish you for being so stupid, or ugly, or awkward, and so on. Every one has a very low self esteem towards them self., who abuse or hurt themselves. Also with bad addictions, like overeating, smoking and so on, comes from self hatred. It is so sad to see enormous amounts of individuals who carry this trait.

Answer 9

i guess i am harming myself. i am just so stressed that i don't eat or sleep. bad idea for those who wanted to know. it's my fault in a way but in other ways it's other people's faults. i am always strong for people almost like a councelor so that creates a lot of stress. but if others i know would grow up i wouldn't be so stressed dealing with them it's hard to explain. i'm glad they come to me for help but there r times when their crap is just whining. sometimes i need a shoulder to cry on and there r none for me so i hold it in also very bad. i don't cut or anything like that but i get so stressed it's like life is in extra fast speed and i can't keep up with it. who knows

Answer 10

I don't now but I did. I had really screwed up bigtime and ended up in prison on remand for one week. I wasn't suicidal but the prison thing was a majr shock for me. I harmed myself on my wrists. I did not want to kill myself - I had family and children waiting 'on the out' but I wanted to punish myself for ending up there. Oddly enough, it helped a lot.

Answer 11

Guilt, boredom, endorphin addiction. The best solution is some kind of exercise.