[toomanycats]

I am exploring this question for myself and will answer in a minute, but I'm wondering if anyone else could share...

Could you explain what SH/SI urges are like for you?
Are there bodily sensations? Physical feelings?
Thoughts? Images? Sounds?

I self injury for two reasons: sometimes I feel a word so strongly that I NEED to see it on my skin, in myself, so I cut or burn the word into my skin.
The other reason is when trauma is bothering me and I need to be physically destroyed because I can't fathom having experienced the stuff I did and still (again) be able to walk and stuff.

[LiteraryLark]

Self harm has always been a punishment for me so I can "see" why or "prove" I am guilty...I cut when I feel overwhelmed with guilt.

[Trace14]

Originally Posted by LiteraryLark

Self harm has always been a punishment for me so I can "see" why or "prove" I am guilty...I cut when I feel overwhelmed with guilt.

Inflicting more physical pain to over ride the emotional pain.

I do it when I'm angry and/or self loathing.

Most commonly, I feel the urge to SH when I'm overwhelmed with life and I can't take care of myself or get anything done because of other people not helping me or me feeling like I lack the power to do anything myself.

I don't cut though. I prefer punching and biting along with throwing and breaking stuff but that's just me.

[splitimage]

I get an overwhelming sense of negative emotions surfacing. I feel tension in my upper back, shoulders, and neck. I can't think clearly. I feel like my head can only see black. I get a tingling sensation in my arm where I used to cut. And I can sense the instant relief that SI would give me.

But I haven't SI'd in over 6 years and have no intention of going back to it - I refuse to go back to that very dark place.

But I still get really strong urges periodically.

splitimage

[subtle lights]

It depends. Yesterday I felt so overwhelmed emotionally, it was so painfully intens that I needed to SH.
There is this burning pain and pressure in my chest/ throat area sometimes.

Other times I feel just hopeless and sad. Other time I feel angry or abandoned.

Sometimes I just need to see blood and see a physical injury, it's like I'm allowed to lay down and relax because I'm physically injured.

[TaintedLove]

Yearning in my stomach. Anxiety through my arms. Burning in my throat. Sometimes angry. Sometimes feeling alone, sad, shameful. Not thinking clearly-fuzzy-like I have blinders on and it's all I can see or think about. Rapid breath. Glamorizing it.

[liveforsummer]

When I feel overwhelmed, mixed, self loathing, useless, obsolete I cant stop myself from thinking of the rough blade on my arm, its all I want in that moment, almost daily. Seems drug like. Fortunately I don't act on it as often as I think of it.

[LittleCartoon]

It's kind of like tunnel vision. All I can think about when it happens is Self harm and it doesnt really go away until I do something, with the odd day where I can ride the feeling out by distractions from my SO. It feels like very part of my body is on fire and I get a slight shake in my hands. Balling up my fists can help make this feeling go away but not always.