It is great that you want to understand. It can be difficult to explain. Attention getting is not it as many cutters are embarrassed and hide what they do. If it was for attention, why would they hide it. I havent cut for a couple years now, but it still enters my thoughts on a weekly basis. For me, I was hurting so bad on the inside, I did not know why. Cutting gave me a way to externalize the pain. I could see why I was hurting, have an explanation for it. Other times, self harm had to do with abuse from childhood. I felt that I needed to be punished and since my abuser was no longer around I had to recreate the abuse myself. Additionally, I dissociated a lot. As a way to bring myself back from a dissociative state, I would cut. Cutting was a compulsion, it brought comfort. There was the whole aspect of caretaking/nurturing after cutting. I would be very kind to myself. Carefully cleaning myself up, bandaging my wounds, taking myself to bed, cradling my arm, rocking myself to sleep while whispering loving caring words like a loving mother would to an injured child. I had so much compassion for myself after cutting.

I hope this helps. And again, thank you for going out of your way to try and understand this matter. PM me if you have any questions.