Self Harm - Bodily Autonomy Until it Makes Someone Else Uncomfy

[sems]

As a society, we love to venerate expressions of bodily autonomy. Tattoos, cosmetic procedures, reproductive rights, even stuff like fitness and boydbuilding. We act like bodily autonmy is this inalieable right that we should seek to maintain in all contexts. But then when someone self harms, suddenly bodily autonomy becomes pathology, suddenly bodily autonomy isn't important anymore and that person should be prevented from doing what they want, to their body, in a way that doesn't affect anyone else.

You either have full bodily autonomy or no bodily autonomy. Being allowed to scar your body with tattoos or mark it during BDSM but not being allowed to do the same things in a self harm context is pure philosophical chauvanism and I hate it. For many people, self harm is a safe, non escalatory, long-term regulatory practice. But studies into it are all pre-selected for distress and depression, so obviously the data reflects that. It just sucks.

 

[Cauliflour]

Self harm can also fuck up your nerves and get you addicted to the dopamine that the cuts give so as much as I hate that I can't wear short sleeved tops in the summer, I can see how normalising such things can be a very slippery slope. Seriously, self harm may seem like it's good in the short term, but if you've been doing it for years then it really starts to fuck with your brain and your body. Such as:

- permanant scars, which can cause discomfort in the future to a lot of people
- iron deficiency (for cutters)
- addiction and cutting just for the hit of dopamine
- feeling like you need to go deeper (cause then you get a bigger hit of dopamine!)
- warped view on your body due to needing to constantly cover up scars
- mood problems due to the dopamine
- high risks of infection due to going deeper (or if you burn)
- high risks of losing feeling in certain body parts if you go really deep
- breaking arteries when trying to go very deep as a cutter, leading to stitches

I've been cutting for years because I like the feeling, but I would never recommend it to anyone as a way to cope cause you're 2 bad steps away from ending up like a freak like me in the future who's too far gone. It would be nice to be able to be more open about my feelings about such things though, but people don't tend to believe me when I say it's cause of masochism.

 

[Hvergelmir]

You either have full bodily autonomy or no bodily autonomy.

That's a bit of an extreme, isn't it?
Compare to for example free speech.

For many people, self harm is a safe, non escalatory, long-term regulatory practice.

If this is true, and presented as such, I believe that it also could be accepted at the same level as BDSM or body moding.

I do however think that for example cutting is a good indicator of mental suffering, and that it makes sense to look into it. I've not personally seen it practiced in a stable and deliberate manner.

I otherwise agree. People are hanging from meat hooks for pleasure, self-flagelating for religious reasons, etc, which are no less harmful. The only thing that differ, is the presumed mental state of the practitioner.

 

[MephiticShadow]

Why would you need to cover up your scars? I have too many scars to count. I don't hide them. They are me and I am them.

 

[violetforever]

Self harm can also fuck up your nerves

does this apply to hitting so hard it causes bruises too? i used to cut but not anymore. maybe a one small cut relapse if i was really stressed but i dont prefer it now.

 

[Cauliflour]

does this apply to hitting so hard it causes bruises too? i used to cut but not anymore. maybe a one small cut relapse if i was really stressed but i dont prefer it now.

I don't think so, i think nerves are fairly far down in the limbs

 

[violetforever]

I don't think so, i think nerves are fairly far down in the limbs

ok thx thats good to know. i like the temporary bruises rather than the permanent scars.