what do you generally think of people who SI because i do?

Question

hey SI is self-injury aka people who cut, burn, hurt themselves on purpose...i was just wondering what people generally think of my kind of people (and u don't have ot worry about insulting me) i just want to know if it would be safe for me to "come out" as a self harmer...

Answer 1

SI is not a lifestyle....it's a mental disorder. I don't judge you because of your disorder, but you recognize that you have it and you need help. You should seek help. So "come out" to a counselor or to your doctor so that you can get the help you need.
Best of luck.

Answer 2

People need to have a better understanding of Self-Harming/Self-Injury. You are not a freak because you self-harm. Self-Harming comes from the need to feel something and is often a way to deal with emotional anxiety.

In order to understand why you self-harm, try thinking about what anxiety were you going through when you started SI. You should 'come out' as a self-harmer but only as a means to help yourself. Talk to someone who won't judge you and you trust.

It is hard to stop SI but you should STOP because it is probably getting in the way of potential dreams and aspirations.

Maybe the next time you think of self-harming you could punch a pillow instead, stick plasters on the parts of your body you want to harm or even scream into a room. It may sound crazy but it is better than having all those scars!

Answer 3

there are two reasons for self injury, one is deep emotional trauma, the other is attention seeking and I have worked with teenagers experiencing both. If your reason is the first then 'coming out' to a doctoe, close friends and family will give you support, love, understanding and encouragement to help you to heal the problems behind the self harming. If you want to tell everyone you meet then you obviously belong in the latter category and should take up drama or something as an alternative way to gain attention. Some people will be very shocked, the people who really care for you may cry, some may find it hard to accept and be angry with you, choose very carefully who you tell to ensure you have the right kind of support. But your doctor is a must. Make the call now and book an appointment. I think it all depends on the type of harm you do to yourself as well, a few scratches, in comparison with deep guages requiring medical attention will be seen quite differently- after all, there are people who self harm everyday with alcohol and drug binges quite openly (not all who drink are self harming!). Good luck and I hope you find the support you need to recover and live life to the full!
Some people keep an elastic band round their wrist to 'ping' when they feel like harming, or hold an ice cube to their wrists, you get a similar feeling of release without the physical signs and symptoms. You could also try going for a quick walk round the block as a distraction. Try and identify when you self harm- keep a diary of the circumstances and frequency and severity and find ways to avoid those circumstances or approach them differently. Thus is where a friendly and patient ear of a friend/ councellor will be particularly helpful, it's not just an illness you are recovering fro but a habit you are trying to break which makes it an extra hard cycle to break.

Answer 4

Speaking as someone who also self injures, I wouldn't judge you for it but I would advise you to seek help.

As for coming out. Well I think that's a great idea but there are a number of things to think about first. Number one is to make sure you are ready to talk about this and seek the help you need, because that is what you need to do. Number two, think about who you are going to tell eg. a parent, close friend etc. I would advise telling someone you are close to so that you can have some moral support when you go see a Dr or somebody. Once you have decided who you are going to tell, think about when, where and how you are going to tell them. I have found that writing down what you want to say first is useful. Do think carefully about this, if you tell the wrong person and they react badly it could have a negative effect on you.
Finally, if the person/people you talk to don't react how you want them to try not to let it upset you or put you off telling somebody else.

I would advise against telling lots of people, at least to begin with. I don't think SI is something to be ashamed of but I do think that if loads of people know you do it and they are unsympathetic or just don't understand it will make you feel bad. Only tell the people you are sure you want to know.

Well, I hope that is helpful to you and I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this.

Answer 5

I see it as a young person's experimentation, usually someone with strong emotions or turmoil going on who got relief from this ...and then got addicted. Because SI becomes an addiction. I think bipolar disorder and SI can go hand in hand. A relief from extreme emotions that make no sense to the person.

Like a smoker; good people SI. It is unfortunate this was the thing that popped into your head to try. Live and learn.

As you get older and treatment is effective for what ails you I think you will let go of SI and conquer the addiction qualities. As far as what people think...well this behavior is a small part of what a person is, in no way defines who the person is as a whole........so you shouldn't care what people think; just get on with life and doing what you need to do for your health and all will fall in line, and one day you will see it was just another chapter in your life.

Answer 6

Personally, I would hug anyone who had the guts to tell me they were self harming, and try to help them. Then again, I'm slightly biased as I cut myself.

I think the most common reaction to self-injury is fright. I've had every reaction under the sun when people found out about me, from screaming abuse to confusion to sympathy. But most of all, people are frightened and confused by what you do to yourself. Bear in mind that if you want to get help for your S-I, your doctor is a good start 'cause s/he won't give you a negative reaction. And remember that the people who matter most will come round eventually, no matter what their first reaction is.

Answer 7

I can see it is a way of releasing negative emotions. A bit like the feeling you get when you are little and you have a wobbly tooth and you can't stop twisting it even though it hurts. The pain seems to release feelgood hormones!

Sorry, I know very little about self harming but I imagine people do it because they can not express their feelings verbally, probably through fear of being rejected.

Answer 8

If you feel the need to self harm, try to use clean razors or whatever your MO is and get some alcohol wipes too. Just try to avoid infections.
As to what do I think, well I don't think it's cool, and I think you must have some serious issues but if that is the way you choose to let off stem or cope with stress it's your body...

Answer 9

I do it! Well I am trying to stop! Personally I am ashamed of myself for doing it! I feel like a coward for resorting to this! I have done it for 7 years! It has taken me this long to realise its not the right way! Now I have all these scars on my arms and I get embarrassed and tongue tied when people ask me what happened! I try to make up things!
I took the step by myself to go and talk to a friend! No one knew about it! I am glad that I have the support of someone! All it takes is for you to tell one person and all oyur feelings will come spilling out! Believe me, its such a big relief to get these feelings out! Harming yourself doesnt get rid of your feelings! It just suppresses them! I had things tough when I was younger from a family member! I was told not to tell anyone! But I have recently learned that my voice is my own and I can say what I like! A problem shared is a problem halved! Let someone help you!

Answer 10

The cutter is above average intelligence and is good looking. She was being forced to accept things in life that did not suit her. She became very depressed and during that time she cut . The rush they got shocked their minds and caused a small orgasm. This remained as a logic thought because the lower brain had rerouted the emotion message to the wrong part of the brain .The medulla has all the wires going through it. After that when she got the shock it stimulated an orgasm and released endorphins to counter the depression chemicals. This will continue until they have a love affair and the real orgasm occurs.