Is cutting a good cope mechanism?

[ineryia]

Is cutting yourself really bad? Most of my life I've heard people say that cutting is bad and you shouldn't do it. But is it necessarily a terrible thing to do if it makes you feel something? I've been doing it for a while and was found out first when I was 15. I'm 18 now. I used to do it much more frequently, like everyday. Even when someone found out, I never got any proper treatment or care for it because no one really cared. I'm at a point in my life where nothing I do feels like it leads to any amount. I don't want to die, but cutting myself is the only type of way I even feel something and I might be too deep in to stop myself. I don't necessarily want to stop but I know that it's not a "normal" thing to do.

 

[space-jester]

short answer: sometimes i think you have to do crazy things to not be crazy. its definitely not good but also dont be so hard on yourself. itll take a long time to fix these patterns.

long answer: i kind of wish i cut sometimes. i have these moments (kind of like just now lol) where i get this intense blood pressure spike and i can feel it run through my body and skin begging to be released, but i never act on it. i usually just burn or hit myself really hard because the wounds are easier to give an excuse for. theres been many a bad time where i desperately want to change or stop or whatever but it can feel like each step forward is three steps back. the only thing you can do is really just keep going. keep taking those steps.
when i have really really bad days i imagine my favorite characters cheering me on to do basic tasks, which is 100% crazy loser behavior however if thinking about dracula telling me to brush and floss makes me do it then i guess its fine. ive kind of been like that regarding my sh too, if doing something that is generally ill advised behavior by mental health professionals keeps you from doing a way worse thing (i.e shooting up heroine keeps you from ctb) then thats fine.
progess is not a direct path, and everyones is different anyway. you have to deal with wanting to cut, thats fine. deal with it as best you can right when it happens. at the end of the day its a habit that you can one day, when youre in a safer environment and better mental state, can deal with and break. and i know you will! frankly recognizing its a problem at all is a very big first step, and you should be proud of yourself despite the hurdles it took to get to this point.
i wouldnt say to keep cutting, i really do think you should stop. its hard work to quit bad habits, but i know youll get there. i believe in you!

 

[lamargue]

i would say no, since it leaves really bad scars that you might regret in the future. i can't remember the last time i didn't wear long sleeves outside the house

 

[passivethought121]

Not really. Its not the best but better than some, but it depends. I wouldn't reccomend it if you're the kind of person to go deep and risk a trip to the hospital. I see it as a non-issue for myself is because I've never gone objectively deep, even at my worst. Just recently relapsed because life is dissapointing and I've lost all other shitty coping mechanisms, so I found my blades. It doesn't fix any of my problems, but forcefully redirects my mind from rash and stupid impulses to attempt. It was never about depth or death, but needing that strong force to ground me. I never feel happy after, but I don't feel mad or sad either.

 

[rednights]

It is indeed a bad coping mechanism in the sense that while it can provide relief, it causes harm to do so.

That being said, people rely on unhelpful methods because sometimes we need them for the time being. Or it's a symptom of your mental health, or any other reason. Our brains have a tendency to seek out maladaptive things like this when they're doing poorly, I feel.

Sometimes you're in such a bad state leaning on things like this is the best you can do to keep yourself going. After all it does help, even though there are drawbacks that make it less than ideal.

Basically, for your longterm health it would benefit you to try and quit, but do not feel ashamed in doing it.

 

[Death is my goal]

it's obviously not

 

[lost_ange2211]

To answer your question short, no it is not good.

Harming yourself is bad in any way and in my opinion you should not try to see it as a good thing. I know it helps, i know how it can make you feel different to your normal state of suffering but i would advise to find other ways to prevent you from cutting and/or reducing it to a minimum.

Do you do it for the pain? Do you do it for the sensation? Do you do it to let off "pressure"? Is it all of those things and more ?

Basically it is about an impulse you give yourself for a certain reason. But there are ways to reduce the need to cut or do any other permanent self harm before the urge gets too big.
Some things i do or would advise are the following:

Acupressure ring - it gives small stimulation and triggers reflex points all over your hands. ( i use it when i feel restless or stressed)
Stress balls / spiky balls - similar to the ring, you either use them to squish them in your hands or with the spiky ball you can massage any reflex points ( i like to roll my feet over them)
Smelling salts/ Ammonia Capsules - they can not just keep you from fainting but also snap your brain back into reality/ give you a small kick, you should only use them occasionally though
Excessive workouts /activities - helps you to let of some steam, regulate emotions, balance mind and body
Cold shower/ ice cubes - they can also help you snap out of it, to feel your body and to get a small kick

And now if the urge to cut gets worse:
Rubber band - small but damn effective, put it around your wrist and let it hit against your skin. You can adjust the pain result to your liking
Clothespin - different size apply different pressure, use them on sensitive areas of your body like the ear / ear helix/ ear lobe, pinch anything you like really for different pain levels.

 

[qw3rty259]

I don't think it is, because it has a temporary effect, so you have to do it again and again which might become a very unhealthy habit. It's basically a type of distraction from the problems, ig.

 

[psp3000]

I would say no because over time you will become numb or not as affected or soothed by it and have to get more extreme or frequent with it over time

but also that probably depends on the person some people do not get more extreme as they continue to do it some do I guess

but I am used to people getting more extreme with it over time whether that means going deeper, doing it on risky areas, doing it on visible areas, doing it with risky unsanitized tools that will infect their cuts, or just changing methods

 

[leaftomb]

From my experience, no. Cutting just made me feel pathetic and miserable, and now the scars it left make me insecure. I also often have instant regret, I regret even as I do it and I just can't stop

 

[penguinl0v3s]

No. Which is why so many people seek to quit. There's a lot of other taboo things that you can do that are healthy, take LSD as an example.

 

[katara]

I would say it depends on the person. Some people claim it helps during the phase where they needed it. It's not something I personally do so that's my take on it.

 

[willitpass]

No. Even if you find some sort of temporary relief it is just that, temporary, and when the endorphin high has passed you feel even worse. Self harming comes with shame, guilt, anxiety, secrecy, anger, etc. You name a bad feeling, self harm can produce it. Now not only are you depressed, you are depressed and ashamed of your cuts and have to work every day to hide them. Over time you get used to the feeling and crave more to achieve the same result. What starts as small superficial cuts progresses until it's all so much worse. I started with cutting and now over a decade later I've done just about everything from burning, attempting to break bones, attempting to amputate limbs, overdosing on meds daily to self harm, starving, dehydration, laxative abuse, head banging. You name it I've done it and it has done nothing but make me feel infinitely worse. I don't even get relief from it anymore, it's become an addiction, a compulsion that I have to do. And I've decided to try to quit and it's genuinely so distressing to try and not do it. Do not start. It will spiral out of control and take over your life. It will not truly help anything.

 

[nyul]

It obviously is not a "good" coping mechanism as is implied in the name. Self harming is causing harm to yourself. That cannot be good. It is, however, a coping mechanism nonetheless. There are reasons we feel drawn to it as it can help relieve tension in the moment. There may be hundreds of better methods for coping but sometimes cutting or other methods of self harm end up seeming the most attractive for a variety of reasons. For me, the draw has to do with history, habit, and availability. No matter where I am, I can hurt myself. And, I started young. So even when there are better options available, sometimes I still go for the more destructive alternative because it feels like home.

All that being said, it really isn't favorable. Social stigma is a thing. Internalized shame around the behavior, and so on. Self harming might help in the moment but can make you feel so much worse long run and ultimately perpetuate the cycle. I would always warn against self harm (as I do with myself) but I also don't think anyone is a bad person for coping in the ways that they know how. It's not ideal but it does happen.

 

[spring vainglory]

if having those scars makes you feel shame, then its not for you. i do believe itll only make you feel worse because regret is a horrible feeling. dont do something you will regret.

for me, i dont plan on giving up cutting. it wasnt always like this, but nowadays it's my way to bring my pain into the physical world, my way to force a world that loves to ignore me and make me feel invisible to see how much suffering i'm truly in. but when i look at my body i find the scars beautiful, i'm proud of them. it seems its more like self expression and body art for me. like vent art. when i see the scars on others i think they're beautiful too.
i think if you can do it for yourself and not against yourself, it would be a habit thats worth not giving up. but if you can't do that, don't keep it around.

 

[Qua]

I was around 12yo when I first tried it. I remember showing it to my parents after a few weeks and crying. I stopped for a long while, like a couple years and then started doing it again around.. 15 or 16yo, this time deeper and more often. In some places I have more visible scars than in others, but I must say I don't regret anything. I've never hit beans, biggest scars I have are like white bumps on my skin. I honestly don't consider it a bad thing when you don't hurt yourself too much. I've seen many pics and videos of people going extremely deep and long on their legs, I think that's when you know it's too much, that's when you know you're addicted and getting out of it is either impossible or needs huge amount of work. I might be completely wrong but it's my personal way of thinking about it.

Edit: if it helps you cope, if you're fine with scars and don't risk your health then I wouldn't consider it a bad thing