Discussion I’m considering self harm

[Voidbather]

This might be a dumb question but, how do I get into self-harm? I'm having trouble finding ways to cope, and I'm considering it but I'm kind of nervous to start. Would you recommend it at all and should I just avoid it? I think about doing it all the time but I'm a little squeamish to start. Just want your guys' thoughts.

(Also I know this isn't suicide necessarily but I didn't think this would fit in either recovery or off topic, I'm new to this site so I apologize)

 

[unabletocope]

Its not really something you get into, you feel it as an outlet or you dont

 

[theboy]

I used to cut myself and other guys and we would get burned but I suggest you don't do that. There are more healthy ways for you to vent. pm anything.

 

[Kit1]

Dear Voidbather,

I am so sorry that you Re hurting so much that you are looking at self harming as an option to cope. In one sense your logic might be positive as you want to feel better and by learning to cope with the pain, perhaps recovery will be a good plan for you..,

For people who self harm (and it is not something that anyone sets out to learn and practise), most would like to give up, but would struggle to give up (almost like an addiction needed to live with the pain). Personally I would never recommend self harming as a tool to learn - and I do self harm, but not necessarily in the conventional sense due to a promise I made to someone when I was a child.

Would you consider exercise combined journalling, art, music (etc) to try and deal with the pain? Have you heard of mindfulness, grounding techniques etc? I ma sorry if I am stating what you might already know. Just a thought and try to think of positive ways in which you could try to deal with that pain.., Sending you lots of good wishes. Take care.

 

[zeecen]

It kind of just happens naturally. I wouldn't make an effort to get into it if it's not something you're already doing.

The safest alternative I've found is eating extremely spicy hot sauce. Like ghost pepper, Carolina reaper, etc. They're completely safe in reasonable doses and release the same endorphins as self harn, at least in my experience.

 

[Voidbather]

Dear Voidbather,

I am so sorry that you Re hurting so much that you are looking at self harming as an option to cope. In one sense your logic might be positive as you want to feel better and by learning to cope with the pain, perhaps recovery will be a good plan for you..,

For people who self harm (and it is not something that anyone sets out to learn and practise), most would like to give up, but would struggle to give up (almost like an addiction needed to live with the pain). Personally I would never recommend self harming as a tool to learn - and I do self harm, but not necessarily in the conventional sense due to a promise I made to someone when I was a child.

Would you consider exercise combined journalling, art, music (etc) to try and deal with the pain? Have you heard of mindfulness, grounding techniques etc? I ma sorry if I am stating what you might already know. Just a thought and try to think of positive ways in which you could try to deal with that pain.., Sending you lots of good wishes. Take care.

Well sometimes I try to ground myself with things I enjoy, but it feels more like I'm distracting myself from it than letting the pain out. And SH sounds appealing to me because it sounds like a way to let that aggression out rather than just pretend it's not there. I have a strong desire to do it but truth be told I'm kind of nervous to start like I said and also I wanted peoples thoughts on it. But it sounds like it's not a solution to anything from what you guys are saying so I I'll probably refrain from trying it.

 

[willitpass]

Please don't. I've been self harming since I was a young child and it is not something you ever want to get into. You may feel like it may give you an outlet when you don't have a good one but I can assure you it won't. What it will do it build up until it's far worse than you could have imagined. What starts as some small superficial cuts develops into worse and worse things over time. For many people, that comes in the form of cuts getting deeper and deeper until they are showing layers of fat and tissue underneath. For me, I stopped cutting awhile ago but turned to things like starvation, dehydration, medication overdoses, over exercising, and sleep deprivation. I've attempted to amputate limbs before on multiple occasions. I've been microverdosing on different medications for months now. Please please please do not start.

 

[UKscotty]

Don't get into it. It leaves terrible physical and emotional scars.

 

[sppplmgwiwlkiwbtft]

okay so this isnt an advice or something. if you dont feel the satisfction from self-harm, you shouldnt do it. but at some point i was in your shoes, wanting to have an outlet but not getting it from self-harm, cutting mostly. but some time passed and as my mental state worsened, i just started feeling some sort of gratification from hurting myself, like punishing or something, i wanted to hurt this Person - myself, like it was a different person from the inner me. i cant say that it gives me the emotion release, but its pleasing in this other way.
but be wary if you sh bad enough, you will get scars for literal years at least if not for decades. and also sh signs make you more vulnerable to getting hospitalized, with or without your will and consent (happened to me, even though the cuts were nowhere close to life-threatening)

 

[lita-lassi]

Don't get into it. It leaves terrible physical and emotional scars.

you never get looked at the same again by those that see the physical results and it isnt a question of hiding them

may i suggest lifting weights or intense cardio until exhaustion? it hurts but helps at the same time

 

[sppplmgwiwlkiwbtft]

you never get looked at the same again by those that see the physical results and it isnt a question of hiding them

may i suggest lifting weights or intense cardio until exhaustion? it hurts but helps at the same time

this is a very good point, as the scars probably wont dissapear very fast. there is also a prejudice towards self-harming people like theyre just attention seekers who dont really feel miserable. this manner of thought had definetely ruined a few friendships for me and for years held me down from seeking professional help

 

[lita-lassi]

this is a very good point, as the scars probably wont dissapear very fast. there is also a prejudice towards self-harming people like theyre just attention seekers who dont really feel miserable. this manner of thought had definetely ruined a few friendships for me and for years held me down from seeking professional help

i got told my scars were ugly and no one would love me because i was fucked up verbatim

even knowing most of that is untrue rationally, it isnt with a rational brain most of us wind up in such a state so the consequences of such a statement are... hard.

 

[executioner1983]

Almost got into self harm myself, learned to cope with a beanbag and a bat instead. Occasionally, I'll throw in some vases or other glass items. Self harm isn't worth it, you'll only hate yourself for it further down the line.

 

[halleyscomet]

This might be a dumb question but, how do I get into self-harm? I'm having trouble finding ways to cope, and I'm considering it but I'm kind of nervous to start. Would you recommend it at all and should I just avoid it? I think about doing it all the time but I'm a little squeamish to start. Just want your guys' thoughts.

(Also I know this isn't suicide necessarily but I didn't think this would fit in either recovery or off topic, I'm new to this site so I apologize)

Self harm isn't something you "get into", for most of us people that self harm it's a natural response we acquired as kids.

Like for me self harm is really an autistic behavior, historically when autistic children have no outlet to express their stress, they instinctively hurt themselves - from there it became a habit even when I became old enough to regulate my emotions properly.

As for the effectiveness of self harm (I'm talking the classics, biting, cutting, hitting ect...) - doesn't do all that much.

The relief is very very short lived, hiding the fact that you have self harmed becomes another stress on top of everything else. It's not really worth fighting with yourself to "get into".

It's just not the way your brain copes with things, if it was you would have done it already - and that's okay. Just because you don't slit your wrists doesn't mean that you're in any less pain then those of us that do.