[sami3]

im new to this site. i came here because i've been hurting myself for awhile and i want to stop. i started cutting in 8th grade. im in 11th grade now. and recently its been getting worse. i dont know why i do it, maybe as a way to punish myself or just to let everything out. i dont know. but in the last few weeks ive done it more than i have in the last few years. and its starting to scare me. so i started reading up on it and it said that self injury isnt just cutting. and i realized that ever since i was younger, i would scratch myself or burn myself or hit things just to hurt myself. and now it seems like i have a big problem. i really want to stop this. please help =/

[bipolar_bear]

sami3 I am sorry that you are having to struggle with this. Do you have a T or pdoc? You may want to consider getting this type of support. Usually there is more than just the act of SI that may need to be dealt with. I am glad you are reaching out. That is so important. Please take care of yourself. There are lists on the top of the forum that may give you some good ideas Please try and be safe.

[Rapunzel]

Sami,

If you are hurting yourself, there is a reason why you do that. It has to do with emotions that we aren't able to take care of in more effective ways. Usually it takes therapy to learn how to manage those feelings. In the meantime, there are those suggestions here at the top of the page with the thumbtacks. Try those and see if they help you, but please talk to an adult that you trust IRL (parent, teacher, school counselor, church leader, ...) and tell them that you are hurting, and ask them to help you get some help.

While you are as young as you are, you can turn everything around and get the most out of life. If you wait, then you will have a much harder time because you will have to mourn for all of the years lost to being hurt and numb and unable to enjoy life, and you will still have to go back and undo all of the defenses that you have set up and learned to live with, and it will be that much harder the longer that you keep going in the same direction. It can still be done, but I sure wish that I had started a lot sooner than I did.

TC,
Rap