How do you convince a friend not to cut themselves?

Answer 1

Cutting is not the problem; it's just a symptom of the real problem. People cut for a variety of reasons, but it's usually related to some deeper pain that they have. They cut to distract themselves from the emotional pain, or to offer themselves the illusion of control over pain (because they can stop the pain of cutting whenever they want). If you want your friend to stop cutting, you'll need to deal with the underlying problem. Figure out why they're hurting, and try to help. Maybe that means referring them to a counselor or a pastor. Maybe that means listening to their problems with a caring ear, without judging. Maybe that means just being near them and giving them a shoulder to cry on when they're hurting.
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Answer 2

You can't. That's a deep routed problem and you should actually encourage your friend to seek help.

Why Do People Cut Themselves?

It can be hard to understand why people cut themselves on purpose. Cutting is what experts call an unhealthy coping mechanism. This means that the people who do it have not developed healthy ways of dealing with strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems.

When emotions don't get expressed in a healthy way, tension can build up - sometimes to a point where it seems almost unbearable. Cutting may be an attempt to relieve that extreme tension. It's a confused way of feeling in control. That's one of the reasons why younger teens are more likely to cut.

The urge to cut might be triggered by strong feelings the person can't express - such as anger, hurt, shame, frustration, or depression. People who cut sometimes say they feel they don't fit in or that no one understands them. A person might cut because of losing someone close or to escape a sense of emptiness. Cutting might seem like the only way to find relief, or the only way to express personal pain over relationships or rejection.

People who cut or self-injure sometimes have other mental health problems that contribute to their emotional tension. Cutting is sometimes (but not always) associated with depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive thinking, or compulsive behaviors. It can also be a sign of mental health problems that cause people to have trouble controlling their impulses or to take unnecessary risks. Some people who cut themselves have problems with drug or alcohol abuse.

Some people who cut have had a traumatic experience, such as living through abuse, violence, or a disaster. Self-injury may feel like a way of "waking up" from a sense of numbness after a traumatic experience. Or it may be a way of reinflicting the pain they went through, expressing anger over it, or trying to get control of it.

Answer 3

Take a knife, stand in front of them and threaten to cut yourself every time they cut themselves. If they care about you enough, they won't cut themselves. You have to carry through with your threat though, just in case they test you. Don't try to mask the pain you feel. Let them know that them cutting themselves is hurting you, too.

Answer 4

You convince them to get help. It's very hard to stop cutting once you start because it releases tensions and endorphens in the body, which cause a person who is suffering emotionally to feel better. That can be powerfully addicting, not to mention if you know about it, there is some degree of attention seeking. This person is seeking attention so that somebody will help because she or he is in trouble and in pain. Please do help them.

Answer 5

Don't try to push religion down their throat, but do pray for them. Opportunities will present themselves in time. Avoid leaving that person alone for long periods of time. Keep them involved in other things. Seek professional help (counseling), preferrable a Christian Therapist. Remember: you can't force someone to believe in God. It takes faith on the part of that person.

Answer 6

You cannot convince a friend not to cut themself. The best thing you can do is refer them to counseling and if they have a family support system tell someone who is close to them. n

Answer 7

show her the right way to do it! j/k that was mean I used to cut and you won't be able to convince them to stop they'll have to convince themselves that what they are doing is wrong

Answer 8

Well, you need to explain to them that cutting themselves isn't going to help but only make it worse...
and That you care about them and that u dont want to see them hurt...

Answer 9

Your question is very baffling. If you are speaking in a manner harming himself, the best counselor right now is you. If you need guidance on what to say, ask of God's help.

Answer 10

u get them to go to counselling sessions or sumthing, usually i find people who do that and im not saying ALL of them do it for this reason but the ones i knew who cut themselves did it for attention!!