why do so many teens and some older people find comfort in cutting themself?

Question

is it a bigger problem thesedays than ever before
or is it because its more out in the open
in all my years growing up in london and all the different
people i have met i havent ever seen or been told the person harms themself and i havent seen any scars or such on their arms to suggest it either it was virtually unheard of in my 70s 80s world,where does/did it stem from

Answer 1

it's like a drug almost... my first time i was just so upset and i scraped a coke can i had broken against my arm and it felt good, like i was letting it all out or something and it reminded me i was alive. From there i did it for comfort, which turned into unbreakable habbit to almost killing myself from doing it everytime i was even a little upset. i haven't cut in a long time now. i'm proud i overcame it, but i still want to sometimes. I hate seeing people's ignorance towards it. I know a lot of people that cut and it's just a nice feeling to get it out and everything. Cutting is just a releif, a break from life sometimes. It's different for everybody though. it's NOT an attention thing all the time and it does not mean that that person needs 'help' in the form of that word as it has come to mean... ^_^

Answer 2

People will be more willing to talk about it if they know it happens to others also. Comfort?...I wouldn't call it comfort. Its more like impulsive self-destruction from internal conflicts and frustrations.
Its difficult to understand if you've never done it, but imagine that your emotions are so screwy, and you have such little control over your ups and downs that the only way to feel right is to cause physical harm to yourself. Weirder still is that it doesn't hurt at the time, like if you fall to the ground while playing a sport.
Physical injuries are a pretty reliable signal to the brain. When someone has uncontrollable emotions in an uncontrollable situation, cutting can be the one thing (at that time) that helps the person know he/she isn't living in an uncontrollable nightmare.
In other words, cutting can help the cutter bring a sense of control back to their lives.
Get it? This is how it was for me. I do regret it, and now I do my best not to get so angry...because I know the dangers.
I was brought up by an alcoholic parent, I learned to turn off my emotions early on, but becoming a teenager wreaked a little havoc.

Answer 3

It's a sign of a severe psychological problem. The reason for self-injury is usually a deep emotional pain which the people doing this want to escape.
They don't do it to seek attention, like some others here have suggested. I know some people who injure themselves and all of them are very self-conscious about their scars and/or wounds, up to the point of one woman who only showers in a tshirt and covers all mirrors up.

The reason you notice this behavior more than in the past is the same as for the growing numbers of other psychological problems, such as depressions and stress related problems. Our societies have changed a lot in the last 30 years. The pressure to be successful is much greater, just like the chances to fail. This results in a lot of stress which some people just can't cope with.

Wikipedia has a good article on the topic.

Answer 4

Some resort to drugs, some use alcohol, some are promiscuous and some cut. I think everyone has a different reason. Sometimes it's to take the mind off any emotional pain and repace it with phyical pain. Sometimes it's a control issue (much like anorexia). Sometimes it's a form of self-discipline (it's an extreme measure), I'm sure there are some sick people who do it for attention,but I would say that if someone is doing something like that to themselves, it's alot deeper than seeking attention. I think that the person is in alot of pain and feels like they have no support or nobody who understands them.

Answer 5

People self-harm for lots of reason. For some it's a cry for help, like a half-hearted suicide attempt. For others it is a coping mechanism, something they use to deal with other issues in their lives (for example if you're seriously stressed, or lonely or depressed, you might cope with the emotional pain by covering it up with physical pain, which is more familiar and easier to deal with).

I think it has always been around, but we just hear a lot more about it these days. People are just much less secretive about it now, both in their own lives and in society in general, which is probably a healthy thing. In the seventies and eighties people who self-harmed will have kept it secret in case everyone thought they were crazy.

If rates of self-harm have increased, then it could be related to a more general increase in mental health issues (note that there appears to be a lot more depression around too).

Answer 6

I knew people my whole life who did this. That meant that they were doing it in the 7's and 80's too. In fact there were a number of 'drug rehabs' started in the 70' (Seed and Straight) that had a huge number of kids hurting themselves by the time they got out. That's where I learned how to make other people do way more damage to me than I could manage on my own. Physical pain can certainly take your mind off the fact that you are in screaming mental pain. Plus I think your whole fight or flight response kicks in and that takes away the suicidal tendences(or homicidal) for a while at least. I think doing it to yourself directly is a bit more honest and at least it's not hurting other people.

Answer 7

there are many reasons, though i wouldn't say it brings 'comfort':
one of the main reasons is to turn emotional pain into physical pain, which can be controlled. people often do it when they feel a lack of control over their life. it can also be so that the person feels something - some people feel completely numb, and need to feel pain or see blood to remind themselves that they are alive. also, the pain releases endorphins that make the person feel 'good', and it is these endorphins that become addictive. also, some do it as they want to see the blood - they feel the pain washes out of their body with the blood. others just need to see a lasting mark upon their skin. some do it as a cry for help when they feel that there is no other way to express their pain and how they truly feel. others do it for self-punishment - when they feel they have done something really wrong and need to be punished for it. others, though only a VERY SMALL NUMBER of people do it for attention - these people often show off their cuts (or any other marks of self harm). MOST PEOPLE however actually hide their cuts/marks/scars and feel ashamed about it or regret doing it, so people that say self harmers do it for attention are completely wrong. mainly, self harm is caused by some form of abuse, mental illness or low self esteem. it IS NOT a suicide attempt - self harm is used as a coping method to try to prevent the killing of oneself, though those who self harm are more likely to kill themselves.

hope that has cleared things up.
i think perhaps it is more out in the open.

Answer 8

As with all mental illnesses and mental distress I think that it has always been around, but is now, slowly, being talked about more which in turn means that it is heard about more often and so can seem to be on the increase.

This link to the Mind website will offer you some insight into why some people feel the need to harm themselves.

Understanding self harm:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+self-harm.htm

I would say that the majority of people who do this are using it as a coping strategy rather than as a comfort. For me it is a way of feeling in control of something when everything in my life feels out of control, and also as a way of stopping myself doing anything more drastic..... (I'm one of the older people you mention). I don't advocate it as a coping strategy, but will be honest enough to tell you that I do use it on occasions.

I now work as a mental health support worker, and believe me, you are unlikely to see much evidence of self harm as most people feel guilty and quite ashamed of what they do to themselves and keep any scars hidden away unless they feel comfortable and in safe surroundings. I try and disguise my scars, but in comparison to some I've seen, mine are not that noticeable.

Hope you find the information useful and it sheds some light on the subject for you.

Answer 9

I think it's always been around.
I would never do it myself ( I wouldn't want the scars lol)
but the feeling of wanting to do it comes from a self loathing & that you just want a release from the built up bad feelings inside you - maybe the psychology of it is if you cause yourself physical pain it cancles out the emotional/mental pain. Either that or you feel like you deserve it & wont feel satisifed until it's done.

Answer 10

People cut themselves for many different reasons, and you cant just lump the entire populace in one group.
I think self-harm is an old concept, but being brought to light recently because of the amount of people who are doing it.

Sometimes its to feel, because brushing your teeth and getting dressed, going to work and coming home everyday makes you feel numb and detached.
Some people like the pain, and the blood makes them feel real.
Occaisionally people get depressed, and hurting themselves externally is the only way they can ask for help.
Sometimes they want to die, and killing themselves is the dignified way to go.

But I'm no expert, and different people have their own reasons.