There is so much confusion around the addiction of cutting. It's hard for some people to understand why you, or someone you know, would repeatedly harm themselves on purpose. I want to break through the confusion and help those who practice cutting as a way of life. I've heard a lot of people say, why would anyone do such a thing as purposely cause pain to their bodies? So, let's begin to uncover the reasons why so many people cut themselves.
Most People Cut to Cover an Even Deeper Emotional Pain
As I have talked with hundreds of people that self-harm, one major reason emerges over and over again: Most people cut themselves to try to cope with an even deeper emotional pain. If you or anybody you know is cutting, please understand cutting is a way of covering something much deeper and painful going on inside.
Cover Self-Hate
An anonymous blogger put it this way: I used to cut because I felt like it was the only way to feel something other than the hurt and confusion and self-hate that was driving me insane. I would cut because I hated myself so much that I wanted to tear myself to pieces.
Cover Past Trauma
Most cutters' ability to cope with life is overwhelmed by powerful emotions or extreme pressure that seem too intense to bear. Jenessa said she's been a cutter for 7 years. I was sexually abused by someone very close to me. I started cutting because I always thought that what happened was my fault. I have never gotten over it, so I used to cope with any problem I had by cutting. Taking it out on myself was so much easier than figuring out what to do emotionally.
Can't Express Emotional Pain
When these emotions aren't dealt with, tension builds up. Cutting can feel like a release of this tension. Rachel said cutting is a way for her to deal with her pain: It's an escape from reality. No matter how temporary it is it's a relief to escape all the pain.
Most cutters struggle to express their pain to others. Without the words or outlet to express their emotional pain, they give into a short cut, a destructive physical expression toward themself. Laken said cutting is her first reaction when she feels disappointment or difficulty. When I fail a test, when I get in a fight, when I am called a mean name, or when anything bad happens the first thought is to cut. It is horrible and I always fall back on it.
The physical pain has a calming effect on her more agonizing emotional pain. Cutting is the treating of one pain with another. A cutter's life is one of the choices between one kind of pain or a much greater one. Amy said: It feels good when you have physical pain to take away from your emotional pain.
Avoid Dealing with Deep Feelings
The problem with self-injury as with any addiction, is that by harming yourself you never really are able to confront your deepest feelings. Perhaps that is you. You are using cutting to try to cope with an even deeper emotional pain. It is hard to say no to something that feels so good. But in the end, cutting will fail you every time.
Don't lose hope. There are healthy ways to deal with your emotions and to stop cutting for good. Check out these helpful resources on self-harm from TheHopeLine.
If you or someone you know is struggling with self-harm, check out TheHopeLine's free eBook.
I never used to cut myself but I started cutting myself yesterday because I feel so numb inside and I just want to feel pain. I feel like there is too much pressure on me at college and my fiance broke up with me recently. All of these reasons set me off. I have always had suicidal thoughts for 5 years now and I never acted on them but losing her was the last straw. I'm not proud of what I do to myself now but I feel like it is the only way I can cope.
I used to cut and the only true healing is Jesus Christ. He heal me in more than this i aslo was an alcoholic and depressed and wanted to die, but now i live for Him, He is my only hope.
I'm 47, and I've been cutting on and off since I was 11. I was sexually abused for years, and even though I've been in therapy for over 1.5 years, I still feel like what happened was my fault. I use cutting not just as a way to deal with the pain, but I also feel like I deserve to be punished. My therapist is great and I try to use resources she is giving me, but I still often go back to cutting. I still feel like I deserve to be hurt. Most times I also want to die. It sucks. I have no one in my life I feel like I can trust which makes it harder. My therapist wants me to call this crisis line whenever I want to hurt myself, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I hate myself.
I did not start cutting until a year ago. I had other destructive behaviours as a teen,like sex drugs,alcohol,dangerous sports. Maybe I cut now because Im not as physically able to do the kind of activities I need to get out my aggressions and release the pressure. My struggle is with difficult emotions.Was not allowed to express as a child and had to control them.So I find it extremely overwhelming when negative feelings come up...I cant stand to feel them and have alot of shame when I do. It was not only from growing up but in religion that taught, you shouldnt have negative feelings.
I have tried to talk about this with others,but its met with shaming...so the only outlet is my Therapist and this type of place.
Its nothing I want to really do ...its the only thing that expresses the pain that I cant explain in words.
The worst part is that she lives with my elderly parents and they can't cope with it anymore. She doesn't do it in their face and hides in her room. She doesn't want anyone to know she does it but they found out when my mother went into her room and she was holding gauze over the cut and getting ready to drive herself to the hospital. Now she feels bad that she involved them and it is just a cruel circle.