Is self harm a bad thing? Does it make you a bad person? -by self harm I mean, cutting, burning and overdosing

Answer 1

IT DOSNT MAKE YOU A BAD PERSON,BUT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE OTHER PEOPLE AROUND YOU YOU ARE HURTING BY GOING DOWN THIS ROAD,ALSO IT DOSNT SOLVE ANYTHING.YOU NEED TO GET SOME COUNSELLING,THAT WILL DO YOU MORE GOOD THAN HARMING YOURSELF.

Answer 2

Self harm is definitely a bad thing. It's addictive, it's psychologically unhealthy, it's addictive, there are physical health risks with any sort of injury, and depending what you're doing it can even be potentially lethal. The specific physiological risks depend on exactly what you're doing - it's pretty hard for an overdose to get infected or to die from a shallow cut. But each one of those things can lead to a serious medical situation. People die all the time from overdoses even when they didn't mean it to be a lethal dose. Cuts and burns are rarely fatal (although depending on the cuts you could potentially cut an artery and bleed out), but the can get some pretty nasty infections. The point is that they're all dangerous, and not things you should be doing to your body. They're also coping mechanisms, and they're addictive, so they're unhealthy from a psychological perspective as well.

But self harm definitely doesn't make you a bad person. It's often a symptom of an underlying psychological condition (often depression or anxiety; it's one of the diagnosistic criteria for borderline personality disorder), and being sick certainly doesn't mean you're a bad person. That's like saying that having a runny nose or a sore throat makes you a bad person. Everyone would agree that having a sore throat is bad, and you usually want to try your best to get rid of it, but it doesn't make you a bad person.

Self harm is usually considered an unhealthy coping mechanism. It means that for whatever reason, the person didn't learn healthier ways to deal with particular stressors, or those healthier coping mechanisms aren't working. It usually starts out as a last resort, although people do come to rely on it. They might be using it to deal with the stress and emotional pain of an underlying psychiatric condition or a past emotional trauma, or there might not be any underlying condition. Either way, it's not their fault that they didn't learn healthier ways to cope.

But that doesn't mean that it's a good thing, either, or that it's something you should try. If you're currently self harming, I strongly recommend you seek professional help. As I said, self harm can be dangerous, even if you think you're in control of it (no matter how much you try, you can't control bacteria, or even your own body chemistry). Self harmers can learn healthier ways to do that, and a mental health professional can help them to do that. If you haven't ever self harmed, I'd strongly recommend you NOT try it. It won't fix whatever's wrong, and it won't make you cool. I've cut myself for the past three years, and cutting myself that first time was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done. Don't make that same mistake.

Answer 3

Many people view the topic of self harm with great trepadition. It takes a very skilled and professional person to be able to view self harm as anything but a *bad thing*. However, as a self harmer, I view it as a coping mechanism. It is my way of dealing with the stress that I face in my life. Sure, it's not the best way, and it has ruined many a relationship, both personal and professional, however, for me, it is an addiction that I have been fighting for 6 years.

All you need to remember is that NO, you ARE NOT a *bad person*, and that right now you are struggling. You need help, but sometimes, that help is very hard to seek. I urge you to stay safe, and go gentle on yourself.

Answer 4

It certainly doesn't make you a bad person - why should we label someone negatively, when they're trying to protect the people around them by taking their anger out of themselves, rather than others and the world around them?

I also don't always think it's a bad thing - for many, it's a necessary coping strategy to help them deal with the problems in their life until their in a place where they can safely get help about their problems.

However, things like overdosing are very dangerous, and can easily lead to death, and they also cause permanent damage to the stomach lining that can cause major complications later in life, therefor I think it is far more intrusive than most forms of self-harm and should be dealt with immediately.

Answer 5

Self harm doesn't make you a bad person, but Yes it is a bad thing! People act like this when they are crying out for help. They need attention that they didn't get as children and they are scared that noone will ever love them. They feel lost and just don't know how to deal anymore.
But if you really want to make yourself feel better, then you should see a therapist. Talk through your issues. Sometimes it just feels better to talk to someone who has "heard it before", someone that understands and lets you know that you are not the only one who has went through these things. Plus once you are able to overcome your selfharming behavior it makes your life soooo much better, you will be happier than you probably ever knew you could be. And it will make you proud too, proud to know that you loved and cared about yourself to get you some help and that you've made it as far as you have in your life on your own. That you are a survivor. Screw everyone else!

Answer 6

Yes, self harm is a bad thing - it's potentially very dangerous in terms of bleeding, infection (cutting and burning) and damage to internal organs such as your stomach, kidneys and liver (overdosing).

But it doesn't make you a bad person, just a person who has problems they feel unable to deal with and can't find any other way of expressing the pain they feel inside.

Try to talk to someone about how you feel and why you self harm, a friend/family member, doctor, counsellor etc. You're not going to stop self harming because I tell you to, so please at least be careful - use clean blades each time you cut, cleanse and dress the wound daily and watch out for signs of infection developing.

Answer 7

Well, this really depends on how you look at it. If it keeps you from doing worse things, like killing yourself, then of corse it's not a bad thing. There are better solutions though. You might hurt the people around you if they found out, but not nearly as bad as if you killed yourself. So, it can be a bad thing, but not necessarily all the time, and IT DOESNT MAKE YOU ANY LESS OF A PERSON!!

Answer 8

It doesn't make the PERSON bad but it certainly means that there is an underlying reason/problem behind the self destructive behavior.

There are so many great online sites that address this. All you need to do is google them.

A great place for support via message boards that I saw was on A&E television, Intervention forum. A lot of cutters were there.

http://www.aetv.com/intervention.

Good luck to you.

Answer 9

self harming and overdosing are a bad thing and dangerous but it doesnt make you a bad person. i used to selfharm and overdose but i wasnt a bad person. i was stressed and scared and it was my way of dealing with it all.
burning is extremely dangerous you could burn the house down and kill someone.

Answer 10

You are not a bad person, don't even think that I know someone who self harms and she is the kindest person I know. She is very sensitive and gets hurt easily at the moment her doctor is treating her for lack of confidence and she is getting better. so good luck and dont worry.
suziesnail

Answer 11

It doesnt make you a bad person but it is an illness and if you self harm please get help.

My fiance used to self harm, he tries not to now because it upsets me so much. He used to cut himself and has actually said he feels he needs to do it when he sees his scars fading. It is psychological and does need treated.