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 know two people who cut. One of them, my friend Ashlyn, was getting cyber bullied and could do nothing about it because the bully wouldn't stop. A day later she told me she cut herself and I just didn't quite get why. It worked out in the end, though I am still a little concerned about why she cut herself. My other friend, recently broke up and the ex went to their ex, and my friend was friends with him for seven years. When the ex's got back together, my friend's friend just transformed into a totally different person. My friend was crushed. He lost his gf and his best friend. Later, he cut himself. I am concerned for my friends and personally, I don't cut and I don't plan to, but now I think I get a better understanding of why people would purposely harm themselves and just let it slide. In my perspective, you are slowly destroying yourself both physically and mentally. You are trying to shut the rest of the world out. You try to avoid your problems by putting yourself in danger. Every drip of blood that runs down your skin basically means nothing now. Thank you for explaining further as I did not know very much about cutting. Thank you.
I cut myself when something happens that brings greater emotional pain, so it isn't every day or week I do it. I'm verbally and emotionally abused by my father and when we get into arguments it takes all I can not to think about wanting to just end my life. no one knows why I do it, but nobody assumes its for attention, and my family doesn't know either. no one really notices the quiet kids with the biggest problems.
It must be hard, but cutting will never release pain maybe for a minute or two. I wish people who struggle with this problem start seeking God. He is the one who can help and takes this pain away. Every time I have something bad in my life I go to Him in prayer. His love is great to everyone, and everything that you need to do is to make a step to Him.
I cut myself and I do it bc I can't handle any emotions. Even extreme happiness names me feel powerless. I wish I could turn back time and choose not to have made that first cut. Its an addiction and it's not easy to stop. This article is great bc it gives peoe an insight to things they may make fun of bc they don't understand. Its not ramantic or beautiful. It's not fun or trendy. Its painful and it hurts just as much inside as it does out.
In the beginning you cut because you have a reason...your hurt emotionally and a lot of the time you hate your self you only see the imperfections and your not worth it so why not slowly destroy yourself? Everyone has an addiction to take the pain away...wether it be smoking starving burning or cutting or another form of self harm you get addicted you cut because your Angry frustrated or depressed but the. You start doing it even without a reason.....to fell the pain to see blood to have a scar it all becomes habit and you live With the demons you try to cut them out but your really locking them in every time you cut too far every time you see the little beads of blood every time it stings in the shower the demons in your head are destroying you from the inside out.... Stay strong bby it gets better 😘