[Chippie]

So I went to the doctors the other day, just for a physical, they did some blood tests and I have anemia. I'm afraid it may be because of cutting and I don't know what to do about it, if I tell my doctor I don't want to get into a situation that I will have to tell my parents. I also don't know if thats the reason either. Does anyone have any advice or ideas for me maybe I'm blowing it ouut of porportion but I'm scared I really don't want to have anyone close to me finding out but I don't want my doc treating me for anemia if it's cause of my cutting. I don't know what to do.

[dalila]

Whether it is from cutting or if you are a female to menses you should treat the anemia. You will feel better physically and last longer to be able to cut more. If that is your goal.

[FearsomeAnna]

Dalila,

I think that your statement is irresponsible - we're supposed to help people recover, not encourage them to continue self-destructing. I am sure you meant well - just be careful what you say.

some of it's magic
some of it's tragic
but i had a good life all the way......
~jimmy buffett

[FearsomeAnna]

Chippie,

I don't know how much you know about the causes of anemia, but I can assure you it's not from the cutting.

Anemia is a condition caused by lack of iron in the blood. Iron is very important to red blood cells because of its structural role in hemoglobin - the molecule that is responsible for attaching oxygen to the red blood cell and hanging on to it while the blood cell travels around the body to deliver oxygen where it's needed.

If your iron levels are low and you are anemic, you will likely have felt tired, sluggish and fatigued. You may find your heart rate has increased slightly - since fewer of your red blood cells can carry oxygen, the blood cells have to get around to your lungs faster to keep you oxygenated.

Anemia can be caused by a lot of different things - it can be the symptom or result of another disease, or it can stand by itself as its own issue. If you have your period, for instance, it's very important to up your iron intake to counteract the blood loss.

The reason I assure you that it's not your S/I doing this is that you would have to lose a lot of blood (like with your period) over a short amount of time. This means you'd have to cut really deep and bleed alot over a few days - unlike menstruation, your body WILL stop the bleeding process within 10 minutes, and the process to stop this actually begins within 30 seconds of the injury. You don't have a lot of time at all in order to bleed enough to cause anemia.

My suggestion is that you start taking a daily multivitamin to make sure you're getting enough iron. Other places to get iron include red meat and certain vegetables. When you get your iron levels back up to normal you should start feeling much better physically.

I hope this helps!

some of it's magic
some of it's tragic
but i had a good life all the way......
~jimmy buffett

[dalila]

I am sorry. I read the post several times and I guess I read into it more than was there. I mainly wanted to point out that she needed to take care of the anemia cos it can have bad effects if allowed to continue. I will try to be more thoughtful in any future replies.

dalilia