what can i do to stop cutting?

Question

I have been cutting since i was 6 im now 18

Answer 1

Hi there... Sounds like you are having a rough time. :( I hope that you have the help and support of a good therapist. If not, I am including a link to a therapist search below.

DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) is often very helpful for BPD and cutting. (I am also including links below). I would highly recommed finding a good DBT program (where you can go several times/week for various groups) or at least a DBT group. If you don't already have a therapits, you might want to find one who is trained in DBT.

I hope you find more support. You deserve way more help than you are getting. Good luck!

http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/index.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/

Answer 2

OK, first of all, I want to warn you that you'll get some horrible replies to this question on here from morons who don't know what they're talking about. And I want you to just completely ignore them.

Before you can stop cutting, you need to know the reasons behind why you do it. And you need to find some other way you can express these feelings without cutting. So if you cut because you're angry, you need to find something energetic and aggressive to do to get rid of the anger. Instead of cutting, you could get a punch bag, and punch hell out of that. If you cut when you're lonely, you need to make sure you have a list of friends you can call when you feel like that.

Do you see what I'm getting at? You need to work out what emotion makes you want to cut, and then find something which will relieve that emotion without cutting yourself. For me, guilt is a strong trigger for self harm, so I have to come up with something which will help relieve the feelings of guilt, like talking to friends about what I feel guilty about and getting their reassurance that I have no need to feel guilty. Another things that triggers my self harm is loneliness, so now when I want to cut I come online and chat to friends so that I feel less alone.

There are lots of reasons why people cut, and the fact that you started when you were only 6 years old suggests that you've had a pretty difficult life. Have you ever spoken to anyone about your self harm? If not, I would strongly advise speaking to your doctor about it, and thinking about having some counselling. It really can help a lot. Good luck.

Oh yeah, and visit www.recoveryourlife.com it's a site for people who self harm, there's a chat room where you can get support, and there are forums where you can meet people who are going through the same things as you.

Answer 3

don't think about it and find a distraction let it try to work for like 30 minutes until the need starts to pass and go find something you enjoy doing.
think about what it does for the short amount of time it makes you think you feel better.
if you can hold on and wiat for a time period to go by before you do it the more progress you make and can eventually stop on your own.
i used to cut and people ask me wht happened because it was on my arms and they have not faded enough to not grab someones attention and the yask in surprise and concern.
i tell them i had problems and i did it myself.
i am not shy about it, i can admit what i did and people accept it and hope me not to do it again.
i can proudly say i won't.
doing things that remind you of the feeling of going through skin or the pain does not help.
it makes you think of it more and it might not do it for you.
have someone suporvise you while you just do your own thing with no worries but they are there just when you need to be refrained from cutting yourself.
do normal things taht make a difference in your life and set a goal to do as much of one thing to work on while you are trying to hold back and take you time and don't have too much expectation from yourself.
this takes time and many failures but every try is as important as every sucess.
when you have worked and have not cut for maybe a month you can go back and look at what you did like your project and see the time it took was the time you didn't cut and how you got to not be cutting.
can i ask why you think you are cutting so i can be more clear?
what was around you when you started this?
me, i was 13 and was raped by one of my friends who was helped by another friend.

Answer 4

jesus you started young. i was 17 when i first picked up the habit. it only lasted probably 6 months back then b/c i broke my foot (not on purpose). then in may this year i started again and it was way out of control. my legs are covered and i estatically enjoyed cutting my wrist. i just turned 24 in august. i was just admitted inpatient last monday night. i was in for 3 days. not b/c of cutting but b/c i was suicidal, nothing new really w/that i just told a friend and she freaked out. anyways, for me getting out of my routine of cutting has seemed to stop if for now. i haven't cut for one week. a nurse in the hospital gave me a rubberband to wear on my wrist and i'm to snap myself when i feel like hurting myself. i had made it until last friday until i felt like i needed to use it. so i've been snapping myself when i feel the need. so i'd recommend trying the rubberband. i'd also recommend getting into counseling if you are not. my therapist just asked me what is underlying my feelings of wanting to hurt myself. i have to figure that one out b/c apparently just liking it is not the right answer. so TRY the rubberband, that's all i can ask. i wish you well, try to take care of yourself. i can't imagine what your childhood must have been like if you started hurting yourself at 6.