how do you know if you need stitches?

Veggy, you can always tell a doc that you did it yourself. They have sworn to keep their mouth shot. It scalled medical secret.
Now, I donno how things go in America but in case of infection, take the most sterile bandage you can find, a desinfectant such as dakin cooper or an iodine or eosine stuff, it can be either liquid or a cream, which is better, and change it 3 times a day. If you see its red around the wound and yellowish and swelling inside then you must take antibiotics either by putting antibio cream on the wound or swalling them or both. Forget about the stiches, its seems too late at this point in time.
Ok, its gonna be an ugly scar but you can avoid it by using silicone plasters such as cicacare or dermatix.

I know its easy to say "dont do it again" so I wont. My only advice is to handle the blade better and to avoid to be in such a mess.

BUT dont do it again, please, I stopped for more than a year and dont miss it after my last dramatic infection. At least you seem to have done it that in a clear cut with a clean blade. Nevertheless, your anxiety about it may be a good reason to quit this disastrous habit.

Lots of hugs, take good care of yourself and go to a doc, its the best thing to do.
I wish you all the best.

Green stuff sounds like pus. Make sure you continue to put antibiotic ointment on it like Neosporin or Bacitracin. If it gets really red, and hot and runny and you begin to run a fever go to the doctor. If you see red lines radiating out from it go to the ER. That might mean blood poisioning. I don't mean to scare you, but I want you to be safe.

Edited because I can't spell and used an offensive word by mistake.

i'm just worried. it hurts and it was making the gauze yellow and now it's making it green.

and i'm sick and getting orange fluid draining out of my nostril and have to go to the hospital anyway. i'm just avoiding going. i don't feel like it. i don't feel like sitting in the ER (i have no insurance.. so would have to be ER..) by myself.

i'm just worried if i tell them i did it to myself, considering my suicide attempt, they'll put me in the hospital against my will.

They will only put you in a psychiatric hospital if you are currently a danger to yourself or others. I tried to get my son admitted to a psych hospital but waited a few days after his outbursts and threats and they would not admit him because they said he did not show dangerous behavior on the day they saw him.

So how are you doing? Are you in danger of hurting yourself again?

Do you think that you need to wait until you are with your BF again before you start working on getting yourself better?

I am concerned for you, dear.

the doc barely glanced at it since i went in to get my sinuses checked as well. he said it wasn't infected, but it sure looks like it to me. oh well i guess...

You may want to keep an eye on it for a while just in case....

Yellow fluid on a bandage is pretty normal. I get that all the time...if you're putting Neosporin on the cut sometimes that will cause some yellowing. And most cuts if they are kept moist will have a little bit of discharge I think....doesn't mean they are infected, it's just the body's way of healing. Keep an eye on it like moon said, but don't worry about it too much. I've cut for 2 1/2 years with not a single infection. As long as you take care of it after the fact, put anti-biotic cream on it and bandage...you should be fine.

i figured the yellow was pretty normal, but then last time i took off a bandage it was all green. i've started leaving it uncovered, mostly because i ran out of tape. i still clean it though. i can stick a q-tip inside it and it's all numb, so it makes it a bit easier to clean.