Specific areas to cut

I'm asking b/c I'm trying to work up the nerve to tell my counselor about WHERE I cut at on my body. Does anybody else here have a specific place they cut, and the reasons they cut there? I think I'm really weird, b/c of where I cut at, but I don't know for sure. So, this is another one of those teeny tiny steps of trust.

I would suggest switching this to a trigger icon, considering once people answer, it could be triggering to those who might also cut in the same places...

I'm going to go ahead and answer this question, even though it's probably not in my best interests. But if you say it'll help you tell your T, then I guess it's doing some good somewhere.

Basically, I'd cut almost anywhere. It started out with wrists, then arms, then legs, thighs, ankles, feet, shoulders, stomach, hands...the reasons I would cut in those places were pretty simple: I could hide them. Thats why I switched from wrist and arms to legs, etc. They were easier to make excuses for and much easier to hide without looking suspicious.

Meh. Okay. That's my answer...

I cut on the underside of my forearms. In the case where I don't want people to know I cut, I usually cut my stomach.

I cut in the inside of my forearm, below the elbow joint, because its a reminder to me and fairly disguisable. I couldnt cut anywhere else.

Legs mostly, because easier to hide wearing pants. I have to watch myself at the gym where I shower. I try to do places that I can hide under my towel (stomach, thighs) or the inside of my lower leg so people don't notice to easily as I walk by them. So far no one has noticed. I try to help cover up my lower legs by carrying my shower tote bag lower. I did a first cut on the inside of my arm today. I didn't like doing it on the arm. My T asked me where I was doing it. He thought arms and legs both, but no. I wondered when he asked that last night if most people do the legs and arms. He mentioned me going into a partial program, but he doesn't want to take me out of work. So he suggested going to group(s?). I don't know what to make of that yet. I'm no good in groups either, and I think he could guess what I told him that I tend to watch in groups and not participate. I don't think he's sure if it would work or not either.

I cut on my arms on the inside...but mostly on my stomache but on my thighs lately that way I can hide it better.....

On my upper thighs and I think that says it all..very secretive there...when I was young it was on my lower arms, my forearms...I guess as you get older you learn to hide it...

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climbingkit said:
On my upper thighs and I think that says it all..very secretive there...when I was young it was on my lower arms, my forearms...I guess as you get older you learn to hide it...

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I think that's very true. When I first started, as I said, I began with my wrists and forearms. Then as time went on I rarely ever did my forearms (unless it was winter, even then, very rare) and NEVER did my wrists again. 95% of the time, I did my legs above my ankles. Every once in a while my thighs, and I mostly experimented with my shoulders, stomach, feet, sides, etc. But it was all about where I could hide it, and where if someone DID see it, I could have an easy excuse.

We're real thinkers, us SIers.

Being able to hide it or excuse it is a pretty big factor for me too. My other one is accessibility. The perfect place for me is the back of the neck. Hair covers it up, but it's easy to reach there when I want to also. I don't use a blade there, but just fingernails. It's usually impulsive and without thinking about it, and was an improvement over scratching my face and arms.

Instead of my telling you where I cut how about telling me where you cut and I will tell you if this is one of the areas that I cut in.

I pose this question this way whenever I encounter this type of post because I was once in a real world group where this person knew nothing about what the group was about. She couldn't tell the therapist any answers to anything except to say yes she did this or that AFTER people disclosed themselves. It turned out that the person was someone who hadn't really been raped and was noit a cutter. she was there for attention.

I am not saying in any way that you are not for real

I am only explaining why I am asking you for more details. Well maybe not even details . How about if I make a suggestion like maybe a new question - " I cut here and my therapist is asking me to tell her where I cut. Do others cut here and any suggestions on how to talk about this with my therapist?" I have loads of suggestions that have helped me to talk about my cuttinng and where with my therapists.

It would be horrible if anyone was using this forum for attention, but even more horrible to suggest (however diplomatically put) that someone, who could be genuinely needy and in need of support is a lying attention seeker. How can you prove that you cut where you say you cut or if you cut at all. We are in cyber space and you take people for what they say or dont at all, that is not come here. Would you be satisfied if she took pictures of her scars and sent them to you?

I too feel you should tell us. Just for the fact that I don't like the idea of you asking us to disclose information that you won't.
I will answer your question
I use to cut on my wrist...after I went overboard once and did permnent damage to my wrist and hand, and starterd working, I tried my ankle. I soon realized my ankle got infected easily so I switched to my stomach. Now I have quit but I miss doing it on my wrists the most.

Oh boy. . .

I have been out of the loop for a couple of days. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start anything like what seems to have come up.

I wasn't sure what I COULD say on here. . .but apparently anything goes. . .so here goes.

I cut on my breasts. I hate them. They betrayed me. So, that's why I cut there. I only cut on my wrists when I'm planning something more than mere SI.

I just realized what she meant when she said I should tell you guys. I wasn't scouting for "insider details." I have enough insider details inside my own frigging head that I can't get rid of. I can't imagine finding out that someone within my "group" was a faker. . .so I guess I understand. But I wasn't digging for information to use for attention.

i cut my arms and wrists, when i was younger i SI'ed the back of my hands really bad, they are impossible to hide without gloves, i have never cut anyware else, i guess we all have our reasons for SI'ing where we do

Thank you gracey for understanding. and yes I have been known to cut there a time or two. but not to the point where a friend of nine did. and no you are not crazy and so on for cutting there. For me when I was cutting there it was to get rid of the feeling of my stepfathers fingers pinching and so on me there. my choices these days on cutting areas is on my right leg, and my stomach. My right leg because I wear a brace on it that requires my wearing a long knee sock so it is not a bell ringer for others that I have on a long sock in the summer. My stomach because I have some stretch marks from having my son. using a thin blade razer there the scars don't show up as anything but stretch marks. I have also been known to cut my fingers for anyone can cut themselves there and blame it on oh I was cooking and wasnt paying attention to what I was doing. so that doesnt ring any bells for my therapist or doctor.. Well maybe not my doctor but a couple months ago my therapist asked me right out where do you cut. Its documented in medical records that Ive had stitches and so on from cutting but she never sees any fresh cuts.At first I was afraid to talk to her about this so I wrote about it in my journal how she never will see any fresh cuts because I know that if she sees a cut within the 24 hours of the act she has grounds to put me in the hospital mental health unit. and Im not putting her or myself in that situation. I also put in there for her a list of where I am known to cut. And I showed her threads that I started on various websites about everyone posting reasons not to cut and ways to help themselves. So she knows yes I cut but I am actively working to stop it. Then she told me that she would not put me into the hospital if I told her BEFORE cutting that the thought was there. It made it so much easier for me to have it out in the open and also easier I now know she wont hospitalize but will help me in other ways when the urges hit.

So maybe you could try writing about your cutting and then just hand it to your therapist. You can also explain why it is so hart for you to talk about it so your therapist will know you're not avoiding it you're just a bit nervious and scared because of where it is that you do it.

Im sorry my post to gracey upset you. as you can see by my post I did not ask for a photo. I was just asking for more information and explained myself to gracey why I asked and by her post she completely understood. Again I am sorry that my explaining myself to gracey upset you.

Yes gracey understood what you meant and so did I. How about if I make a suggestion like maybe a new question - "I cut here and here, for reasons a, b and c. What about you gracey where do you cut"? Simple.

I was a wrists and ankle cutter, mostly. Haven't cut in several months but have been thinking about doing so more and more lately. When I did cut, I'd cut on the insides of my arms mostly and my wrists and get ahold of both my ankles. Sometimes i'd cut my stomach or thighs but not too often.

Sorry liquid I am not going to turn this thread into a debate between you and me.

I was not the only one uncomfortable with being asked to disclose something that someone else MAY NOT and or could not have been willing to disclose about themselves. the only difference is that I went into detail about why I was uncomfortable.

Again I am sorry that my being honest about MY experiences upsets you. Whether or not you accept that appology is up to you.

now for me- I answered gracey's question, she understood and I have appologized to you because my answering GRACEY upset you. for me it is time to move on from this debate.

You just have turned it into a debate between me and you. All i did was suggest a more tactful way of making your point. Apology accepted. Oh and anyone else that doubted gracey, shame on you.

The reason being a number of us self harm because we seek to demonstrate our pain (THIS is how I am feeling ... I cannot describe it so I will show you) and verify it (if I do this, then I must be actually unhappy not just pretending). Suggesting that someone could be pretending that they are a self harmer is very hurtful because its a tool used by some to validate the pain they are experiencing and cannot understand or accept, and can be more triggering than talking about blood and razor blades, the 'mechanics' of self harming. You have to be very sensitive of that, ALL OF YOU DOUBTERS.

The rule is, if you doubt then leave well alone.

You can do more harm to someone else that far outweighs the pitfalls of revealing too much about yourself to someone that isnt genuine. Do you really think every person that visits the site has warm and compassionate feelings about the things that are written in here?

I have a suggestion. . .how about I just shut the hell up and won't ask anything else on here? Maybe that'd work for everybody? I'm sorry I ever even posed this question, I'm sorry I OBVIOULSY posed it in the wrong way, I'm sorry I was too damn INSECURE to talk about what I was doing b/c I thought I was some kind of FREAK. I'm sorry it upset everyone so much. I'm sorry I can't be real on here. .ESPECIALLY if that means being timid and scared. I'm sorry I have to prove that I'm a cutter, a survivor, and legitimately screwed up before I can ask anything. So I tell you what. . .IT WONT HAPPEN AGAIN!!!

BY the way if anyone takes the time to read my first post they will see that I did write in there unedited that

"I am not saying in any way that you are not for real"

Maybe I should have capitalized the letters.

(((((((Gracey))))))))

You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry that you were hurt. Everyone, let's please drop the topic of how and why questions are asked, okay? I can understand that someone might be uncomfortable being asked for information given the experience of finding out that a group member was faking (in which case there is still a reason why someone would feel the need to present problems other than the ones they have), and I can also see how being questioned could be threatening to some of us here, whose reasons for SI include validation. I don't think that anybody wanted to hurt anybody or stir up bad feelings. Can we leave it at that and remember to be supportive of Gracey, who asked for help in this thread?

Thanks.
Rap

no gracey do not shut up. you have every right to post your experiences just like I do. and again thank you for throughly reading my post and seeing the words "I am in no way saying you are not for real" and understanding that I was just asking for more information.

Sometimes people read fast and read only partial posts (I've done it myself) and the issue gets blown up. The trick is to go back and reread and then admit and appologize if you are wrong. and I do that. and again you are not crazy and so on for where you cut. and you are not the only one. Take care