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.
Sadly, some of us don't believe in God. I am athiest, and proud of it... And last I heard at my church (my parents make me go), I'm a sinner and God hates me because I'm gay. So I don't think God could help me there.
I just want to clarify something about Christianity. God does not hate anyone. The whole premise of the bible is about how God IS love. He loves everyone, no matter what sins they've executed, what sexually someone is, what race they are or even what other religion they practice. God loves ALL. At least that is what I personally believe. I know Christians who are gay and bisexual. I think only the "extremists" are the Christian's in the media who hate on gays or other religions. They are condescendingly judgmental and that is the exact opposite "form" of Christianity that I practice. Maybe you should start attending a more accepting Church because there are some out there that won't shun you or hate on you for who you are and who you love.
You are precious and dearly loved by Jesus. I am sorry for any church that has told you otherwise. Please do not hurt yourself, or anyone else reading this. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. It might be impossible to believe right now, but greater things are yet to come.
I'm a lesbian, and I'm 23. its taken me 23 long year's to finally realize God loves me just the way I am. Religion is the problem, Jesus is the answer. You are not a sinner, you're perfect just the way you are.
A lot of you people.. you're just.. amazing.. so sweet and caring.. I didn't know people like you existed anymore.. reading those comments just made me feel a little better about everything. And for those who read this.. I love you, you're beautiful and most of all thank you. Thank you so much for being who you are. Being the best you can, trying to help people.. thank you for helping me. You all are just so sweet <3 I wish I would've saw this sooner..
i think i can understand what everybody that cuts is going through iv been hurt many ways and that hurts me i don't understand why does all of this happen to us we go through a lot of pain in life i just want to say something i herd before its sort of like a saying ''those who cut are angle and want to go back to heaven because they cant deal with their own pain so they try to return to heaven'' right now i finished cutting but it maid me feel a little better but not a lot but i'm OK i guess i don't know if i well feel good tomorrow at school i think everybody knows that i did it today because i mite of post it on something but OK i guess once again cutting is never good but people just do it !!!!!!!
In reading blog after blog about cutting, and knowing many cutters in my mental health practice I wanted to put a question out to those brave people who commented about their own cutting experience. Most blog comments about why people cut refer to the physical pain as overshadowing the deep emotional pain. However rarely does anyone comment on where that deep emotional pain is coming from. I hypothesize that most times the emotional pain comes from sexual or physical trauma or a violation. If any of you very brave people could comment on that I would appreciate it. I am really trying to bring the terrible compounded pain of sexual trauma to the forefront. Sentences for pedophiles are far to lenient and the damage left by a perpetrator is at times lifelong. I hypothesize that young people in their teen years diagnosed with bipolar disorder, or conduct disorder or borderline personality disorder have been misdiagnosed. Instead of labeling with a diagnoses, the behaviors instead should be looked at as symptoms or reactions to trauma or a violation of personal space, a complete loss of control if you will. In my opinion if people were empowered to break through feelings of shame they have have and talk openly about the traumatic event perhaps there would be an improvement in symptoms that are misdiagnosed and medicated. So perhaps to keep anonymity, people who think that sexual or physical trauma or abuse is the cause of the emotional pain that causes one to cut, could you hit the like or up arrow on this post. Those that have experienced cutting but have not had this type of trauma would you hit the down arrow.
I think it's true.....
I am a "cutter." However, unlike the usual cutter, it's not a habit for me. I only do it when I am feeling so down on myself that I can think of no other way to handle matters. Also, I did some research into why people cut. I cut, but I've never understand why it makes me feel so much better. The reason is that your body releases endorphins after you hurt yourself, for any reason, in order to make you feel better. Therefore, by cutting, a person is basically abusing this chemical release.
Fortunately, I have made progress and do not cut nearly as often. Knowing more about the chemistry behind cutting has helped me to stop doing it as often, because it's very similar to the kind of hit drug-users get, except that in the case of drugs, there's a (much) bigger amount of endorphins being released.
Also, one thing I've learned is that it's very important for cutters to not hate themselves for cutting. Usually, after I cut, I feel ashamed and guilty for doing it. Then I get down on myself, which leads to more cutting. The only way I'm able to resist the temptation is if I tell myself it's a moment of weakness and everyone makes mistakes, and that I can do better in the future. Thinking positively on the situation is much more helpful than thinking negatively, although this is hard to do in a moment of intense emotions or passions.
Anyway, that's my story and look on things. If you read this, thank you for taking the time to.