High school - I let one classmate catch me, and she asked me to stop I think. I later wrote an article for a class project about it with the premise of being a former masochist and having newfound hope, with her being the only one to know the real context, and I stopped for a while, but went back to it and wrote a part II article that I kept to myself.
College - I was feeling bold about it and happy with my fresh cuts and rolled down my jacket sleeve a bit and my seatmate saw and was concerned. I don't remember talking about it.
College again, walking to class - one of my classmates knew that I cut, I don't remember how he found out, and he checked my arm, and I willingly showed that it was clean. He knew better and checked my other arm and I just kind of shrugged it off.
College again during exams - I was stressed out about choosing not to take the final exam for one of my subjects where the grade was high enough, and I went kind of crazy on my arm. One of my friends saw and looked at me sadly asking what did I do to myself. I think I just replied that I didn't know, and we didn't really talk about it.
College still - I was hiding in a ledge because of some social anxiety, waiting for my classmates to leave before coming out. One of my friends saw me and smiled at me and just talked to me normally. She also knew already and I don't remember how she found out. She asked about it casually, and I think I told her I had stopped already.
Orchestra - I had gotten upset during my commute to the venue and slashed my arm and bled. My seatmate saw after our practice when the lights came on again, and she called two others after getting my permission. They all talked to me and asked about it and I felt awkward and foolish. They arranged some get together later on, and I told them I had stopped already, and they said good.
College reunion - I was crying over something else and two of my friends saw. I was embarrassed about the real reason I was crying, so I just showed them my scars and told them that I cut.
Previous work - my dad had gotten mad at me for something before we left for work. I cut and was a crying mess when I got to work. I didn't feel well enough so I told my boss I was going to the clinic. It was the day after the Christmas party, so they thought I was just tired from it. I actually wrote about this in a previous post where I
told a nurse. I never did get to talk to any counsellor after though.
Current work - One of my staff saw my scars with some fairly recent cuts maybe a few days or weeks old. He was shocked and asked about it and I just completely ignored it. He got the message and didn't ask any more.
Current work also - one of my coworkers saw my arm with old scars and asked about it, but answered himself, thinking they were marks left from leaning my arm against the edge of my desk. I just said yes.
Home - I actually showed my dad my scars out of frustration during an argument. This was already after I had just stopped for real (I told him I didn't do it anymore) and before I started relapsing again four years later. This was the first time he found out, and he got really mad and shouted and called me crazy, basically reacting in a way that would make me want to cut again. Sometimes I wonder if he remembers. We never talked about it again after that, and he's never given any indication of noticing my scars, and I don't think he has noticed because he usually confronts me right away about stuff.
Home also - my younger sister saw my scars once, and I just completely pretended it was nothing. I think she was still shocked, but I just acted normally and she never brought it up again. I've tried to be more careful after that.