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.
Im a cutter and personally i cut because my ex cheated on me with one of my best friends or was one of my best friends Im unhappy because i feel like i wasn't good enough for him or he didn't love me as he proclaimed to of have. then i found my best friend im not going to say her name but i hope you know who you are .... im in middle school so its so hard and i get bullied because i cut myself. im in love with this guy and he knows that im in love with him but he just laughs at me and he also bullies me for cutting. i try to stay strong but im always braking inside im so unhappy with myself that i cause more pain im unhappy that i cut myself and it pills on to why i cut in the first place......i hate myself and i my friend she cuts herself and i tell her not to but then at the same time i released that i cut too then i just cry and she is always there to help and support me and im so grateful to have her in my life she is the only reason im still here today....i still cut and its getting worse but for the people who have hurt me i say forget you and thank you for opening my eyes to a world of pain i hope your happy. because im not and i never will be again.
Reading this because I have had the fascination with harming myself the past few weeks. I have not drawn blood or done any major damage, but the urge to do it is very odd and alluring. I'm not entirely sure how to describe it. I assume it is stress, but stress comes from everything. It was rather harrowing to see that it is a symptom of deeper abnormalities...there has to be a better word than that. As much as I would love to spend an hour on introspection...I have an analytical book review to write. For anyone wondering, I am a male in college, and I have somewhat decent experience in the phenomenon from talking with my Girlfriend, and leading multiple retreats where such circumstances were depressingly common.
After reading your comments, I'm beginning to understand how intense your emotional pain must feel. After my cat got put down,I felt so intensely heartbroken; that i just couldn't cope with it a second longer. Cutting was like an escape route, but then afterwards, i had to go to hospital and i got slapped on the face by my dad, because he thought I was going insane. I feel deeply for every one of your, because I know what it feels like to fall of the bottom end of your emotional scale.
My friend cuts so do I but I don't really have a reason I try to go clean but I just keep going right back to it what do I do?
Lonelyouthere..idk if ull ever read this but ive been a cutter since i was 12 im now 44..i do have times where i can go long periods without cuttin..the longest was 4 yrs..only a few fam members knows i do this..1 happens 2 b my daughte..my recent episode was yesterday than again lastnite..ive been in a deep depression with other things goin on it seems like a never endin battle with emotions..im hopin 1 day i can b done with cuttin n i wish the same 4 u.. stay strong.. 🙂