Welcome to the self injury room

Thank you for creating this forum. I know that it is a touchy subject that people don't like to talk about and not many people understand.
My family doesn't get it. They don't understand why I do what I do. So, it's hard for me to talk to them when I want to engage. I try my best not to.
In a lot of ways, I think that it's not exactly something to be ashamed of. People need a way to cope, and that's what we do. We cope in the ways that we know how. Does that make it right? No. But we do what we need to so that we can get through whatever crisis we are in.
I have been a self harmer since I was 15. My first time wasn't an accident, and I got addicted to it. Now, I do it in beautiful ways: Tattoos, and piercings. My family doesn't understand that this is my way of coping. But I need the pain. I'm trying really hard to rewire my brain as to not think of engaging as a proper coping mechanism, but it's hard.
I have been "sober" for two months now. I engaged when I was at my mom's because I was mad. Everyone was mad at me, I was mad at me. So I engaged and I hid it for a while. Now I'm trying to make sure that I don't do it again. The urge is hard. But, I'm trying to fight it.
That's my peace. Thanks for adding the forum.

I think the self harm room will help people struggling with the idea of hurting themselves.

I needed a place to go today and this is the place I went. I am grateful it was available to me.

Hi, I'm new to this forum and to Psych Central. I've been a self mutilator for 17 years. I've never been a part of a support system for this, so hopefully this will give me the support I need

I love the idea of this room. Talking to people who have never SH'd before can be like talking to a wall when it comes to the desire to cut. I'm looking forward to trying to use this resource.

Hello. I was glad to find this thread as self injury has been an issue for me. Was able to manage for several years until recently hoping to find support as this behavior is my most embarrassing and most difficult to talk about.

Thanks for creating this forum.

I do have this behaviour, every now and then depending on how angry I'm with myself I hurt. Sometimes I even want to kill me. I just don't like myself. I felt myself poorly accepted in my own family and then my classmates didn't like me. I think that made me really angry about who I was, and my feelings, myself, etc. I started hating myself since then, I was 12. It's been really hard for me to understand myself and, find my own opinions, my vocation, my likes and dislikes. I tried to be someone else..., It's hard. This behavior is more common than we think. Thank you for creating this forum so we can express ourselves. Thanks !!

This is a tricky topic. I believe it is a symptom, not a cause. That said, I still feel the shame and stigma. I'm an adult; I mean, really, an adult, and I should have given up such behavior as a teenager. At least, I tell myself this, until I do something drastic; again. I use this as a means of coping with the anger, the anxiety, the hate, and the hopelessness. I find that once I see blood, I can take a few deep breaths, and function again. The problem is the tendency is engrained in my mind, and when I do something truly drastic, such as drinking, my actions of 'making blood' become much more detrimental. I am interested to know if this is a common occurrence amongst adults of advanced age (which group I have to place myself in, though I still think I'm twenty-one half the time). Perhaps I simply don't want to feel so alone.

I can't help but wonder how many of us started self-injuring by picking at wounds left on us after being beaten by our abusers?

I know that's when I started, and that was before I was even 5 or 6 years old.

I'm 56 years old now and engage in it very little now, but it's still a go to when I find myself under a lot of stress or anxiety.

I find it extremely difficult to undo something that became so deeply ingrained as a coping mechanism for all the @#$%! I was living in during my childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.

At any rate, however we came to be self-injurers, I'm hoping that by us being aware of it now that most of us are well on our way to finding healthier ways to cope and deal without adding more scars on top of all the scars we already have.

Not that those scars are anything to be ashamed of ... They have helped to tell our stories when we weren't allowed or couldn't find the words to!



Sincerely,
Pfrog!

I heard that there's a correlation between nailbiting and self-injury

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Hi John, I'm cutting today. Want to cry,but cutting is less painful.

I'm hoping this is the right place to post this. I started slicing my wrist a lot in the last 2 months. I've only did it in the last 20yrs about 12 times. I cut more when the voices get to loud to distract them. I don't really understand why now I feel this is the only way to stay alive.

Hi. Like most people on here im afraid to admit to others that i self injure. Im 15 and this forum could possibly be a good outlet for my problems. But the main reason im scared to open up is because of what people will think of me. Ive already had someone tell me in person that they and nobody cares and another lerson not take me seriously and make a joke out of it. This wouldnt hurt me so bad if they were random people, but no they happen to be my family

I want to know... is self harm wrong?

Hi DaX11,

You will get a better response from others if you create your own thread. Click on the Self Injury words at the top of the page and it will take you to the overall forum. On the upper left side of the page you will see "New Thread." Click on that and start your thread! If you have any problems, let me know!

I can't take this anymore. I want to cut myself. I hate my life and I hate this world.

I am 34 and I self-injure, nothing extreme, when I am angry with myself or frustrated, and especially when I feel helpless. I know it isn't healthy and I don't want to cause myself permanent damage. I don't know what to do. I am too ashamed to admit this to anyone because I feel like a child throwing a tantrum. I feel so frustrated and helpless. I need alternatives.

I just self injured for the first time in over a year. I feel ashamed but it did make me feel a lot better.

I am sorry you had this issue that made you cut but remember how long you went without cutting. That is a great accomplishment and you should be proud. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I offer you a gentle hug and a soft embrace. Please be Safe. I'm here if you need to talk...

Amanda

thanks for the advice