At what point does self-injury become 'serious', or more extreme than 'normal' self harm?

Question

I'm 16 and I started seeing my therapist for self harm when I was 13. Back then I just did very superficial self harm, scratching/gouging small areas of skin, pulling out my eyelashes, biting my lips till they bled and occasionally bruising/cutting myself. I refused to show anyone my injuries because I was ashamed, and I only showed my therapist some minor scratches and cuts when I initially saw him.

I didn't self harm very often between the ages of 14 and 15, but since I turned 16 this year, the SI got loads worse. Now it's got to the stage where I'm worried for my own safety. I slash at my arms, legs and stomach with razors, put ciggies out on my hands, I've carved a design into my hipbone, and even (on one occasion) stabbed 4 needles through my cheek into my mouth. I do the more 'extreme' things impulsively but I cut my arm/legs with a stanley knife about 20 times every day. It makes me feel less anxious.

Answer 1

All self harm is not good for you but I think you already know this.

You do this because you cannot cope, could be many things in your life, but your therapist should be telling you these things.  You draw blood because you think this is taking away the pain, but of course it is not.

Are you being bullied, perhaps you are trying to draw attention from your parents, maybe someone is abusing you, the list is endless.

You have to make an early appointment and tell your therapist everything.  They will help you to deal with your coping mechanism.

There is hope but you cannot do this on your own.  If you want to get better and live a normal life then speak up now.  Do not leave it, if you do you could die, and I am not joking.

Please, ring your therapist, do they have an emergency number, if so use it now.

You deserve so much more, life can be really amazing but you cannot see or understand any of this because something has blocked your normal patterns of coping in your brain, but they can be fixed.  So please get better help.

I am sending a prayer to you right now.  Godbless.

Answer 2

Cutting yourself is not good, no matter how much better it makes you feel. There is help.

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/c...

Self Harm 1-800-DONTCUT Help for "cutters"

Answer 3

To echo a previous poster....   Self harm is NEVER NORMAL.

Is the therapist you are seeing right now one that you have been with for a long time?   Is he not addressing the issues of self-harm?  If so, I'd say you definitely need a new therapist.

Have you been diagnosed with anything?  Borderline?  Bipolar?  

You need to speak up for yourself and make it clear to this therapist that this is a huge problem and that the Prozac isn't helping.  

If your therapist isn't helping you, and you've been honest with him and given it time, you should definitely find someone else.   You cut because it helps you deal with severe emotions, right?  It's an escape.   There's something that's been around for a bit that's working for many individuals who are committed to their treatment plan called CBT/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  Look it up, it can help you.

You don't need to feel this way or hurt yourself.  You don't need to be sad all the time.  There are resources there to help.  It will take time to learn how to deal with the stressors and sad things in life, but it's very much worth it!

Please stop hurting yourself.  No good will ever come of it.

I wish you the best in your recovery.  

Answer 4

Most importantly, you are too pretty and too important to let this keep happening to you. You have too much potential for a wonderful future to spend time in this mind set. You can help yourself, however, you definitely should tell someone what is going on. It will make you a stronger person when you allow people to help you. Someday you will need to share your experiences with someone and help them get through their struggles.

I wish you would get this personalized book written with YOUR name throughout and on the cover.  It is written to give you courage and self love and confidence. There is much in this world that only you can do so please do something to help yourself. Change your mind set and thinking habits and you will change your life as you know it know.

You are special and you deserve a better life.  You can get your personalized book at the site on the scource line. You will be amazed to how it will change your life. Be all that you can be for good in this world.  You certainly have much to offer as a young person. Your mind is young and tender and quick to learn. It is a matter of learning that you can make a difference yourself !  This book is endorsed by people you would recognize if I told you who. They all have one for themselves.

Answer 5

I think this is quite serios , being a self injurer myself, but i only cut with knives on my arms , im 15 and at my worst it was when it was 14 , iv calmed down alot and only do it when everything gets on top of me , because it helps realease feeligns etc *** youll know, but i think this is a major issure for you , inseatd of cutting yourself straight away try diffrent things , go to the injury as a last resort , scream into a pillow , go a walk / run , paint or draw on your arms or legs rather than cut yourself , be expreimental without acctually cuttign yourself , if you showed him , he could either like do somethign about it liek , get you better help than what hes providing or he could just like talk things through with you, personally i think u should take each day as it comes , liek dont wake up andbeleik okay im gonna cut myself today, wake up and be leik okay im not gonan cut myself today ,

if you need a chat about it or anything then liek message me and ill give you my msn if you have msn

xx

Answer 6

It's already serious. Your Medicine may not be working or making things worse. If your doctor does not satisfy you go to another till you get the real help you need.  Not all Doctors are good Doctors. You might need a different Medication for your condition.

If you keep information from your Doctor he cannot help you. You may have a type of Obsessive Impulsive Disorder going on.

  

Answer 7

There's no such thing as "normal" self harm. ANY self harm is abnormal and dangerous.

Get help immediately.

Answer 8

u   need to   go    to the doctor u be crazy

Answer 9

lets look at some of the stuff you've said:

- Now it's got to the stage where I'm worried for my own safety

- stabbed 4 needles through my cheek into my mouth

- I cut my arm/legs with a stanley knife about 20 times every day

- I have suicidal thoughts daily

- I've been slashing away at any veins I can see on my arm

- Now as I'm typing, blood is running down my arm from a deep cut I made about 20 mins ago on the blue bit on the inside of my elbow

hopefully that has re-iterated for you that your self harm has gone beyond simple self harm, i mean like less serious. being a self harmer myself i know this is very bad self harm, as i do not go anywhere near as far as what you have done.

i understand that you're worried about showing your therapist, but i think you should. just try and be brave on this one,  i know its hard because i dont like showing people either, but you could seriously hurt yourself, doubly - i mean, you could get blood poisoning, other stuff like maybe blood clots but i'm not a doctor.

i think this has got very serious, yes, beyond just a little self harm, and you should definately tell your therapist. they are here to help, and you've trusted him/her a bit before so i think definately show/tell them.

best of luck, just go for it! and i hope you stay okay =]

Answer 10

I think that any injury you cause to yourself can be considered serious. I have a friend who used to do these sorts of things to herself, and she was forced to see a therapist. She never showed anyone but me... and when her parents found out and forced her to see the therapist she wouldn't speak to him. After a while though, she realized *like you* that it could be a serious problem and started being completely honest with her therapist... The therapist was really able to help her after he knew the ENTIRE story. So maybe you should try just being honest :)

Answer 11

i'm so sorry. i have impulses too but i've never actually injured myself. i still know how scary they can be. think about the consequences of not showing you therapist your injuries; they are much worse than actually showing him/her. ask about medications; they can really help calm nerves and anxiety. good luck with everything. you need to help yourself before you can let others help you.

Answer 12

i started self harming at 13 and mine started as just cutting my arms but they werent bad - just scratches.I'mm now 20 and still self harm as i never got help with it until recently. it got really bad about a month ago - i cut my legs so badly the blood came through my jeans and i was dragged to hospital by a friend and needed stiches.

this cut on your arm now - how long has it been bleeding? you need to get a bandage and press down on it for 10 mins and if it doesnt stop bleeding after that then you really need to get yourself to hospital so it can be seen to. you will also be able to speak to someone from the mental health liason team and you really need to tell them that you feel unsafe.

what you are doing is serious and dangerous and your therapist does need to know how much worse it has got. if your too shy to show them, what about taking a photo and writing it in a letter to give to them? just a thought.

i hope everything does work out for you x*x

Answer 13

it sounds like ur therapist isnt that good....if uve told him, he shouldnt just be ignoring it, its serious. If he hadnt ignored it, then you might not be doing this now. I would show him the injuries and just say that you need help and want not to feel like this so that you can stop doing it. He wont put you in a mental hospital, as its not serious enough for that and they dont have a lot of beds anyway, but he should be able to refer you....self harm is becoming more common and I think there is specific advice our there you can get.