There are a million and one reasons on why somebody self harms and I can’t possibly list them all. What I can list are the five most common reasons that Self Harmers have said is why they cut:
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1.It makes me feel better. It makes my pain physical which can be healed
2.It makes me feel alive, I feel dead/numb on the inside so seeing the blood makes me believe I am still alive
3.I hate myself so much that I feel I need to be punished and cutting punishes me. I feel as if I have caused so many problems that I have to be punished.
4.It just feels so good seeing the bright red blood makes me excited (not sexually) it makes me happy, the throbbing pain and the stinging just makes me free for those few minutes I am free, I have no more pain in me it feels as if it all drained out with the blood.
5. Distraction from current problems/stresses. Like if your p*ssed as hell you can cut, and you have a new issue, Your bleeding out of your wrist. It takes your mind of everything else for awhile. For a few minutes you have a whole new kind of pain. One that you can do something about. One that can be controlled. That sense of control and sanity is worth all the cuts on my wrist.
It is addictive on a physical level and a psychological level.
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Physically
The physical addiction is not actually a true addiction,at no point does the body require the chemicals produced. Though the effects produced can be desired much like an adrenaline junkie desires more situations that produce adrenaline. Whenever the body gets hurt it releases chemicals called endorphins, these help you to recover from the pain and carry on. These chemicals also have the side effect of cheering you up a bit but there main effect is that they help you to relax. On a normal day the body releases a certain amount of these anyway, which keeps you in a normal mood, but when the body gets hurt it releases a large quantity of these, which make you calm down and not feel the pain as much. These chemicals cause the good feelings that accompany self harm and are the reason that many self harmers keep self harming.
Psychologically
This addiction here is caused the by instant distraction that is caused by the harm. When a self harmer hurts themselves the become almost instantly distracted by the pain and the new feelings that they no longer concentrate on the problems that they were having before hand and start to concentrate on the wound. Most self harmers have an almost ritualistic process from the actually techniques of harming to the dealing with the wound (i.e. covering it up, starting the healing process, etc.) This whole process takes time and causes a distraction from the problems/emotional pain that triggered the depression. The distraction cause by harming is psychologically addictive.
_________________ "Go with the flow." -Communityflow.com
Most people don't cut with the intention on killing themselves, although some do. Most do it because of depression or various other reasons I listed above which can then lead to an addiction - a very harmful addiction that can easily lead to death.
_________________ "Go with the flow." -Communityflow.com
Yeah Kris, what you said reminded me of what I saw on Dr.Phil once, it was basicly what you told us, but they were trying to get one girl to stop. In the end, I think she did, but it took alot of trying.
Most people don't cut with the intention on killing themselves, although some do. Most do it because of depression or various other reasons I listed above which can then lead to an addiction - a very harmful addiction that can easily lead to death.
but doesnt cutting your wrists mean that your potentially going to die anyways? wouldnt you die from all the blood loss, i dont understand because ive always thought that cutting your wrists means your going to die, how can you possibly heal those torn blood veins?
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