Anyone got advice for stopping cutting?

Question

I'm 15 and have been cutting for about 4 years. It is getting increasingly worse and I really want to stop before I lose all my friends and family over this. Please give ANY suggestions, and don't leave answers that say I'm insane or need help. I am well aware of the problems with it, and have enough negative names for myself thanks.

Answer 1

oh your poor darling (I'm not trying to pat you on the head here). As an anorexic and suffer of OCD I can understand. But help and medication is the only way as cutting is a compulsive disorder. You'll never lose your family. Just reach out and ask for help as hard as it is. It took me about 10 years to get help and once I did a weight really lifted from me. You don't want to die, you have your life ahead of you. Please try to reach out, I know your scared of being rejected of being seen as a freak but you're not you just need some one to help you. trust me when i tell you that spending 10 years in the abyss is not fun...it's really horrible. i found crying and getting angry really helped. You have the strength to get through this...just reach out.

Good luck and a big hug. xxx

Answer 2

The best advice I can give you is to try and figure out what it is that is making you want to cut, when you have identified what is making you cut you can move on from it. I think that if you are willing to ask for help, whether it be on here or somewhere else, that you are a very strong person. I have seen friends that have cut just like you and they have said to me that they wanted to stop but didn't know what to do to stop. So here is the same advice I offered them.

If you want to stop cutting you can you just have to want it (and it sounds like you really want this). From there you need to give your self a chance to find other ways of coping with the issues that you face (not knowing the situation is a little hard to give an exact coping method, however there are plenty), my friends like drawing so I said to them, when ever you feel like cutting go and draw something, or start a journal. Journaling is a great way to release emotional distress, and the good thing is only the people you let read it will be able to look at it.

You are not "insane" however you do need to help yourself. There are many complications if the cuts get infected and then there are the scars that you will always have. I would also recommend that you find someone you trust, whether it be a close friend or a family member that you can talk to. Talking about how you feel will let others know whats going on for you. I will also say that it might be a good idea if you see a psychologist if you feel that you are not getting any closer to stopping cutting, but I still say give yourself a chance to help yourself first.

4 years is a long time to be cutting however you CAN STOP CUTTING it is possible, I know people who have been cutting for a long time and they stoped in 60 days. I will so say one more thing, one of my friends told me what her psychologist suggested for her to do. This will take time but it is an easy way of keeping track of the days you don't cut. For each day you DON'T cut give your self a star on the date of a calendar. Start off trying to reach 10 days, then 20 days then 40 days then 60 day if you go more than sixty days with out cutting you are finished with cutting. This will help you see how far you've come. Don't worry if you don't make it to 10 days straight away just start again and count from the next day.

YOU CAN DO THIS !!

Answer 3

I was a cutter for about a year, and what I did is not the healthiest answer, but it worked for me, so maybe it will work for you. A lot of people with mental illness (and that's what this is, whether you choose to call it that or not), self-medicate with caffeine and nicotine, and that's what I started doing. I still smoke, and I drink a ton of caffeine, but I think that's a lot less self-destructive than cutting for the short run. I also decided to stop hiding things, and I became brutally, tactlessly honest for a while there. I finally stopped for good when I discovered that S&M (harmless pain, for lack of a better word) could help me deal with the urges. It's been 8 years now, and I've gotten married, graduated nursing school, and am working in a major teaching hospital. You can do it. If you need professional help, please get it, whether anonymously through a helpline or in one on one counseling. Good luck, God bless, and if you need to talk, then please e-mail me via the link here on Answers.

Answer 4

Amethyst, sweetie, you need to seek counseling RIGHT AWAY. I don't know your family situation, but it is perfectly legal for a minor to seek help without the parents immediate consent, if you feel you are going to hurt yourself.

I am 33 years old, and no stranger to cutting. I will bear scars on my arms for the rest of my life. I understand exactly what you are going through and the only way to deal with this is to get therapy.

You can start with the National Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

I am in therapy and on medication for depression and I have been suicidal. I started cutting when I was about 19, but my depression has been around since I was your age.

There is help out there, don't be afraid to ask for help. No professional will ever make you feel embarrassed or ashamed for hurting yourself, we all just want to help you get better!

Answer 5

Cutting is a serious condition,and can be fatal in some cases.You are not insane.You do,however need professional help that you can get for free or if you have health insurance,you can see a qualified therapist that can most definately help you.Cutting is a form of self loathing,and is more common than you may think.Contact your school councilor and he or she can point you in the right direction.You cannot solve this alone.Good Luck in your recovery.

Answer 6

When you get that feeling you have to find something else to do. Also when you feel like cutting force yourself to be with other people...go watch t.v. with your Mom or something or call a friend.

My daughter cuts, she see a counselor too. It's not easy and I know after you have done it you feel even worse about yourself. You just need to do a lot of self talk. That you are worthy and deserve to be happy and cutting isn't going to solve any of your problems.

Answer 7

first you need to ask your why are you cutting yourself. It is a action that will ultimately lead you to death. Think of every time when you cut yourself, you cut a part of your families and friends hearts. imagine cutting a live beating heart. secondly, find other ways of expressing that emotion when you cut yourself like painting or something. My best friend cuts herself and she says painting art is what keeps her from going insane. Take control in your control. you are in control of that blade! resist the temptation of the razer. and lastly, seek family support or therapy.

Love, P

Answer 8

i think you should first seek help from your family if they don't already know.....also do a lot of praying....if I was cutting myself, everytime I have the URGE I would just lean on one of my family members or close friends,.....you should also stay AWAY from sharp objects......Why cut yourself? do something that you love when you're hurting instead. when I feel horrible, which was recent, i sing or write.....do something positive that will fufill you. You're beautiful no matter what so stop cutting....if u want someone to talk to conatct me at [e-mail]

Answer 9

A marker with a thick tip, and possibly in a red color. Whatever you use to cut with, stash it somewhere hidden, where it will be difficult to get to. Keep several large, fat markers around and when you feel the urge to cut, mark yourself with the marker instead.
That should help.

Answer 10

Try to figure out what makes you cut. I cut and I really want to stop. My advice see someone you can trust. Somtimes it's easier to tell a teacher or a counseler then your parents.

If you want to talk email me at [e-mail]