Help how do i start cutting (not ctb, sh)

[throneofdispair03]

I tried to cut my thighs on numerous occasions but end up chickening out. How can I actually start cutting and stop being such a pussy. Am I cutting in the wrong spots, using the wrong technique? I've looked on the megathread, but it's not what I'm looking for. Please help.

 

[CasTheFriendlyGhost]

hey. i'm sorry you have reached the point where you consider selfharm as a coping mechanism. i do it, too but i don't feel qualified to advise you on it, because i'm not doing it a lot and i do it to cope and calm myself down when i feel helplessness and anger. afaik most people do it for different reasons.

there are a lot of threads about that topic in this forum. you can use the search function in the top right of your screen if you have unlocked it (might take another post or two). just enter sh or selfharm in the searchbar. a lot of people there strongly advise againt sh. they say the relief they experience is very short term and the more they do it, the weaker and shorter the relief. they say this makes it addictive and the cuts get more numerous and deeper over time. you may like the idea of being scarred and i can empathize with that thought, but many regret having mutilated their bodies.

if your inhibition keeps you from doing it in the first place, that's probably a good thing. is there no option for you to seek help from someone?

 

[thinvy]

I'm not here to turn you away but genuinely SH can be worse than drugs. I was going down an uncontrollable downwards spiral before I got easier access to weed.

Life sucks shit a lot and I'm sorry you feel like this is an avenue you gotta take but I can't advise against starting enough.

anyways I'll get off my high horse and give what little harm reduction advice I will.

sharp implements ONLY. if you fuck up and go too hard, it's easier to heal from clean slices than jagged. it's also typically safer, as there's less surface area for germs and bacteria to stick on.

sanitize your surface and tools of choice. rubbing alcohol is good! soap and water and alcohol is better! soap and water is better than nothing.

try not to reuse things you can't sharpen too much. go look at what diabetic needle reuse does to the tips of them. they hurt worse, do more scratching than cutting, and end up getting infected immensely easier. I try to stick to 3 times max for my implements.

aim for areas with low friction on a daily basis. inside of thighs may be easy to access, but the risk of infection from irritation from clothing or heat rash is too high for me to risk it. the skin there is also thinner and closer to important blood supply.

hydrate your skin once everything has closed and won't reopen easily!!!! I cannot stress this enough as someone who has self harmed for well over a decade. things heal smoother and nicer, scabs are less itchy, and the burn isn't nearly as bad. just use lotion like at least 4 times over the healing process and it's so much better I promise

 

[Worndown]

I know several young people that did this. I understand it involves control over something in an out if control world.
I would implore you to look for other ways to manage the stresses effecting you.
Nobody needs a bunch of scars or be found covered in blood. That is how the people I know got discovered.

 

[absolutelyyou]

This might sound weird but maybe cutting is not the right form of self harm for you? Like, ok so I'm old now (30s) and cut myself a lot in my mid to late teens, there was no advice to make me do it- in my mind it was the only option so I did it. If you feel apprehension towards it you likely wont get the same release many other that self harm get from it, I think often people that do/did it regularly feel and experience pain in different way than others. Have you tried other things? Something that might give you that flash of pain and awareness could be wearing a rubber band and snapping it hard against yourself. You risk actual injury/lasting scars way less and can still experiment with pain as an emotional release to see if it actually helps or harms how you feel. Be aware though, its the better part of two decades since I cut myself for sh and I to this day still have very obvious scars on my thighs.

 

[february in alaska]

I hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but I've seen several posts like this. I'm someone who has done some serious damage to myself through cutting over the last eight years and it's frustrating to see people without an addiction/issue with self harm seeking one. I'm so sorry because you're clearly in a lot of pain and I don't want to throw around the "don't you know hurting yourself is bad" bullshit on this forum, of all places, but really. Just don't. Especially if it's something you're actively trying to force yourself to do.

People use self harm as a coping mechanism. If you find it difficult, can't handle the pain, or it isn't "working", that's normal and a hell of a lot more healthy than the other way around.

I worry about posts like these. You should be "chickening out" of self harm, and seeing people give advice for cutting (not aftercare or medical help) makes me really sick. I know suicide and self harm are very connected, but suicide and the right to die is not the same thing as kickstarting your cutting hobby. Again, I'm sorry if that's insensitive to say, I'm not sure if I'm phrasing this well. My heart really does go out to you. I hope you're able to find a different coping mechanism that actually works for you

 

[UKscotty]

I used to self harm and nothing good comes from it. I have nasty scars 10 years after recovering from it.

I don't even know what to suggest to be honest but I would research non harmful ways of self harming, I know that doesn't even make any sense

 

[cranberrys]

Ik this has been said already in the replies, but if you haven't already, I strongly recommend not cutting. I don't think people talk enough about how it can very easily turn into an addiction and no matter how bad you sh there are times where you'll feel like your sh isnt enough compared to others. I didn't know that it could turn into an addiction when I started 8 years ago, but I'm still struggling with it despite wanting to get better/clean.
However, if you're set in your ways and truly can't be swayed otherwise, then I definitely recommend being safe about it. Make sure the materials you're using are clean and not dull and you can even make a small first aid kit to clean and tend to your wounds after.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

Why do you want to start cutting?

 

[iwantdeath6969]

i was so addicted to cutting it was eventually all i thought about and i did it all the time, multiple times a day, no matter how i was feeling. i was in love with it. everyone is saying this to you for a reason, don't start cutting. there are other coping mechanisms, you don't have to do anything necessarily healthy, just not this.

 

[throneofdispair03]

Why do you want to start cutting?

i feel numb. i want to feel something

 

[EvisceratedJester]

i feel numb. i want to feel something

Well, cutting isn't going to do much in that regards. Any feelings you gain from it are going to be very short-term. I know saying this likely won't mean anything to you, since there have already been several posts on here saying similar things, about cutting only providing short-term release and being addictive. If you are anything like me, then probably already know this from prior research and don't give a fuck.

With that in mind, there isn't really anything that can be done in order to make you not afraid to cut yourself. If your instincts are holding you back, then they are holding you back.

Maybe try snapping rubber bands against your wrist instead? That'll make you feel something without having to deal with all of the negative side effects of cutting, such as aftercare, worrying about getting an infection, cleaning and disinfecting your area, potentially having to go to the hospital for stitches, ugly scars that itch like crazy, etc.

If you decide that you want to still try cutting, then please make sure that you practice good aftercare and not to cut too deep.