Grrrr... I can't stop cutting, advice please?

Question

It hasn't been that long since I started... Only a year and a half... But I can't stop, even though my best friends (the only people I actually care about =/) keep telling me to.

I keep thinking I've stopped, but then I'll suddenly really need to cut again.

How do I stop? Not having any control over this is driving me crazy.

***No, I'm not allowed to get professional help and I have issues with talking to strangers about my problems anyway.***

Answer 1

dam emo i hate them all

Answer 2

take some bullshark tesosterone this should help overcome your problems, if it doesnt work use beaver traquilizer.

Answer 3

i've heard that an ice cube held in ones hand simulates the feeling of cutting.  you need to think why you feel better after harming yourself.  you should throw away anything that you could possibly use to cut yourself.  if you ever feel depressed then you could call a friend and just talk.  the world is a beautiful place.  you only have this one life.  this moment will never repeat itself.  do you want to spend that moment harming yourself?  if you want any more advice (or just to talk), do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.  if your parents are denying you professional help because of shame, that is despicable.

Answer 4

I don't know what made you start cutting, usually there's a trigger of some sort, but please please get help. From someone who knows what's going through your mind when emotions get crazy and that urge, that unbelievable need to make yourself "feel better" by grabbing the sharpest thing you can find and the rush you feel while actually doing it, I've been there. I had started cutting when I was 18yrs old I am now 28, whenever I was mad i would cut, sad i'd cut, any negative emotion would send my mind reeling. I got hospitalized several times (8) for this, when the fat on my forearms would be exposed due to the anger, hurt, and desperation of feeling out of control that made me cut. I can't stress enough the need for professional attention, I always laughed when people would tell me that I could make a mistake and cut the wrong vein (at that point cutting veins was my objective) If you were to see my inner forearms, they are not pretty. You don't want to, after getting the help you desperately need, look at whatever part you cut and have that constant reminder and have people make assumptions about you based on the harm you inflicted on yourself. I thought that I knew exactly what I was doing, until I cut too deep and didn't notice because once you get to a certain depth, it is numb, I wound up having to go to the emergency room at 1:30am because I had cut an artery and almost died in the ambulance. Please get help almost dying is not fun, it's not pretty like on t.v in real life it hurts! Talking to someone was very hard for me too (hence 8 hospitalizations) but it could save your life. I now know that cutting is not the answer, addressing the emotions that drive you to cut is the answer, but it's a commitment that you have to make wholeheartedly. It doesn't feel good to hate yourself to the point that turning yourself into hamburger (that is actually what a psychiatrist used to describe my injuries to another doctor on the phone so he'd have a mental picture) is how you cope. What do you think you did that was so bad that you need to punish yourself mercilessly? I have the answer to that one, it's , nothing, I'm not a psychiatrist/therapist or anything like that, but I know that one of the classic behaviors of people (mostly women) is self injurious actions (cutting, burning), I was diagnosed as borderline personality disorder, alot of us bpd ppl have gone through some rough stuff in our lives, i don't know if this would be your issue, but talking to someone is alot easier than hurting yourself and those you love because every cut you inflict on yourself is also the emotions pain and helplessness   that you are inflicting on the people you love. I still can see the picture in my mind of my mother on her hands and knees mopping up my blood crying with a blood soaked towel in her hands and telling me between sobs, that I was going to die, It hurts to know that i caused that much hurt in someone that i adore. Please, please,please get help, you can do it, you're not alone in your fight against this thing. You are a good person and don't deserve to walk around hurt and broken inside, you are loved, you are here for a purpose (i believe in destiny) alot of ppl i've met with the same issues, have something else in common, we are very sensitive individuals, so be gentle to yourself, you're worth much more than your actions towards yourself show. sorry for the novel-sized answer, but this question really touched a nerve.

Answer 5

have someone hide all of ur stuff u cut with away from u u need help!!!

Answer 6

Please get help - any help.  People care about you so much and will help you.  This is no way to live healthy.  Please reconsider.

Answer 7

i used to cut.

then one day it cut so deep it wouldn't stop.

the blood just kept pouring out of my wrists.

i never told anyone about it before.

i ran down stairs and my mum rushed me to hospital.

the doctors ended up stopping to bleeding.

but now everyone thinks I'm mad.

i have to go to a therapist, im on anti-depressants and everyone knows about my problems.

honestly stop before something bad happens.

when you feel like cutting squeeze a ice cube. or what i did was put it under my tongue. it hurts, but its the same pain i got from cutting.

or put a elastic band around your wrist and ping it every time you feel like cutting.

these could help you stop.

just remember its going to be hard giving up but just carry on with it... you can do it if you put your mind to it.

you can always email me if you want.

Answer 8

I think professional help would be your best option, honestly.

Try to find another outlet instead of cutting yourself, run, walk, etc.

You are probably dealing with some degree of depression so try eating a healthy balanced diet and exercising will maybe make you feel better, it did for me. I've been cut free for almost 2 months now, no urges at all and the depression moods have come rarely, and they only last for a short amount of time.

Answer 9

i use a scratch board.... an old blunt 9 inch nail and an old board of wood, and i carve the "pain" words deeply into the wood, the effort and discomfort it takes to do that is often enough to take the edge off the urge, and the expression of the words ( pain, hurt, lonlyness, anger, dispair, whatervers bugging me at the time ) can also assist taking the edge of the urge.

i hear for some the elastic bands around the wrist help too and ice cubes as some one mentioned earlier

punching heck out of a pillow or a punch bag or punch board can help too

long furious run at an exaghsting pace

it all depends on the reason for cutting i guess

Answer 10

Everytime you feel like cutting think of something/someone you really care about, like your bestfriend, and think what they must be going through seeing you do this. Hopefully this will give you an incentive to stop. But as you have been doing it for a year and half seek professional help as the method i suggested wont probobly work and unless you get help you'll carry on and possiably end up killing yourself because of it.

Answer 11

Sound's *sliiightly* familiar actually.

My best friends are the only people who could ever possibly make me stop.

I think what we both probably should do is to talk to our friends about this fact that they are the nearest thing to help us stop.

Tell them that you need their support in this and ask if they can be a sort of "sponsor" for you. You call or text them when you need to cut, they can help you through it.

I'm sure together you can get through it.

Personally just the sight of my two best friends crying over it and asking each other "what do we do?" showed me they cared, and made me want to stop so bad.

If you're anything like me then I'm sure together with your friends you'll get out of the horrible cycle.

I wish you all the luck in the world, I need to stop too and I know how hard it is.

Answer 12

Before you cut, go outside. Out of your room, your house. Go outside. Take a deep breath. Now think about all the people you are hurting by hurting yourself. Call one of your friends that you care about and talk to them about how you feel.

Answer 13

Why are you "not allowed" to seek professional help? Are your parents denying you this right by reason of financial dilemma or by shame? If money is the issue you may apply for free government money on a needed basis, same with many psychologists, some provide their services on a need base and lower your fees substantially. The medical clinics near your home may offer free counseling and group therapy. If your parents are denying you help "just because" then you must inform your school counselor because this is a form of abuse, allowing yourself to be in danger and in need of psychological and emotional support.

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How to Stop Cutting Yourself

The self-concept that accepts cutting oneself is a dangerous condition that should be taken seriously, and not minimized or ignored. Do you find yourself abusing your body when you're feeling bad? If so, you are not alone. The Mental Health Foundation of the UK estimates self-harm "affects at least 1 in 15 young people." You can be your-best-friend and stop the cycle, but the majority of people cannot stop on their own. If you feel you need professional help, then do not be ashamed to seek it! In addition to steps you can take towards self-healing, you'll also find a list of helpful sites.

Steps:

-Tell someone you trust about your feelings. When you feel like cutting yourself confide in a teacher, school counselor, parent, friend, relative, etc... will do just fine. If they don't know about your current struggle tell them about it and tell them you need their help to keep yourself from cutting again.

-Talk to this person whenever you have the urge to cut. Some persons experience that a school counselor is a good choice to help with your cutting.

-Keep a hotline number with you at all times. When you feel the urge to cut, pick up the phone and call the hotline. Crisis hotline staff are trained to provide support and offer you alternatives to cutting yourself.

-Remember that to a professional crisis clinician it is clear that it is not their job to "talk you out of" cutting yourself - you make your own choices, and you must take responsibility for either cutting or not cutting.

-Remove cutting tools from your immediate area. If you have to take the time to look for something with which to cut yourself, you may find you have just given yourself enough time to deal with the impulse. Also keep sharp objects away from you.

-Identify the 'trigger' that gives you the urge to cut. The moment you have the urge to cut, stop and think of what has just occurred. Remember it and try to avoid these situations!

-Try to create another outlet. Walk away, eat ice cream, take a shower or bubble bath, go out for a jog, go for a swim, call a friend for coffee at the local coffeehouse but do not cut.

-Understand that as soon as you feel the urge to cut yourself, take a deep breath, fold your arms, close your eyes and relax. Tell yourself that you are not going to cut. If possible, lie down somewhere. Stay like this until the urge goes, then quickly phone a helpline or use another means of getting help.

-Find other ways to vent. Cutting is a way to release some type of pain or frustration. Try painting, writing about your feelings, singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or playing a sport.

-"Hurt" yourself with no scars.Wear a rubber band on your wrist at all times and when you feel the urge to cut, snap yourself.

-Screaming at the top of your lungs helps. Try virtually anything you can (as long as it's legal and healthy) to stop the urge to cut.

-Release the pain without cutting by using your voice. Talk to someone--a doctor, teacher, friends, your parents if you can. You will be surprised how relieved you will feel after you talk about it.

-Speak out loud about what is causing you so much pain. Talk about it - even to yourself, in the privacy of your bedroom: even yelling to yourself to release the tension inside of you - but do not cut or hurt yourself at all.

-Help yourself by imagining how you are able to be like a best friend. As if a friend was just about to cut herself, what would you say to stop your good friend?

-Recognize that cutting is just the symptom of a root problem. Now you are ready to seek and get help.

Tips:

-To stop yourself from cutting consider seeking help from a doctor, parent, or counselor to address the deeper problems that make you want to cut in the first place.

-Do not be ashamed to ask for support when you need it, as this affliction affects people from all walks of life.

-Remember you are not your enemy. You love yourself; therefore, inflicting pain on you is wrong.

-Snapping a rubber band on your wrist is a way to reduce infection but is still a form of self-harm so use with caution; although it can be a good tool to use in transition to entirely stopping.

-Don't let people judge you either; it makes things much harder. Believe in yourself.

-If you ever need help always find someone you trust having them right next to you is always helpful even if it is just for a hug.

Going cold turkey is not always the best way to go. Set limits for yourself

-Create a shoe box - Grab an old shoe box and decorate with items that mean something to you (family photos, hobbies, friends, etc.) and then put the items you use to cut in the box. Before you put the lid on the box make a list of 50-100 things to try before you resort to cutting (such as: walking, jogging, plant a flower, pet a cat, watch 20 minutes of tv, read 5 pages in a book, organize a drawer, make a thinking of you card for a friend, call a friend, call an aunt/uncle. . . etc) This way if you get past everyone that means something to you, you can try everything on the list before grabbing to tools. Put this list on top of the tools and put the lid on the box.

-The butterfly project. When you have the urge to cut draw a butterfly where you want to cut. Now you don't want the butterfly to die so it has to wear off into the wild to be free. In this time you have to hold the urge to cut and if you do cut wash the butterfly away because it didn't make it to be free in the wild.

Warnings:

Self-mutilation can lead to infections and permanent scars.

Cutting is dangerous. Particularly if you are not fully in control of your behavior, there is a possibility that you may accidentally hit an artery and possibly even bleed to death. If you begin bleeding profusely and cannot stop it, do not hesitate to seek medical care.

If you are cutting your arms deeply, you risk of damaging tendons and potentially cripple your hand.

The visual effects of the cuts could inflict pain on the people you love such as friends and family.

Be careful when using online forums and look for ones that are there to help you. If at any time you are not comfortable in a forum leave.

Be particularly wary of forums that appear to encourage you to post photographs of your scars or injuries in exchange for praise and/or encouragement.

Self Harm can ruin Relationships with the ones who mean most to you. Try to stop for the sole reason of having that one person or those people with you.

Answer 14

Hey! I've had this EXACT same problem, only mine was a LOT longer lived. (Think six years)

What I did to figure out how to stop cutting was this:

1.) Figure out what kind of emotional/mental pain/struggle you're going through that's making you cut.

2.) Eliminate the problem. (For me, it was being mistreated by my parents, my boyfriend, being used by friends, et cetera. I eliminated my problem by removing myself from my family, being adopted by more loving ones, dumping my boyfriend and friends for more appreciative ones. But YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO THAT FAR.)

3.) Write. Use a journal. Any time you feel that need to cut yourself, what you do is you grab a notebook and write down how you feel. It will guaranteed make you feel better. Or, if writing doesn't help. Talk to someone. It actually may be better if you talk to someone you don't know (I'm always here), and just venting about your problems.

I really hope this helps.

Cutting will never solve anything, trust me, but hey, now you have scars to talk about.

~Aly (I believe my email is on my profile)  

Answer 15

It is really depression or a sudden happening. Many people like this are on drugs, not all the time. I'm not trying to be rude. You seem like a good person and all people need good lives.