What do you think causes people to mutilate themselves?

Question

State your own personal reasons you think a person would do this to themselves. I'm just asking cause I want to know your opinions. Tell me if you think the person is crazy or has serious problems. Don't give a one sentence answer please. Thanks

Answer 1

You have all the good questions that get answered with text book answers...AKA-wrong to real people.  Self mutilation has way to many forms to sum it up first of all.  Tattoo's and piercings are the most common today and now seldom seen as "self mutilation".  They are argued as a right of self expression or proof of toughness, ask 50 years ago though and the answers are different.  Case in point, the things my grandma had to say about my body modifications.  Cutting or scarring is seen now as freaky or just wrong.  I personally feel if done under the right circumstances it is what it takes today to make an actual, true statement of ones individuality.  That might confuse many but look at it this way, before if you got a tattoo you had to undergo a painful session of ink work to show your committed to what you believe in.  Now the area is swabbed and numbed and you can get a tat of your favorite cartoon character at a state fair.  So what has to happen?  You have to up the stakes.  Scarring has been around for decades but always looked upon as weird. It is a right of passage in many cases.  The main problem with this act is the latest trend of the superficial "look at me" cuts.  Like a temporary tattoo they are just done for shock value.  So I guess the only way I would see someone having a truly serious problem in life  is if they saw their pen as a snake that commanded them to try and re-elect George W bush!        

Answer 2

I personally don't think that there is one answer. Just from experience: it has to do with pain, you just end up trying to feel something, because when you are that emotionally confused you just want to feel something because you cant clearly feel "normal" emotions. That is my take on it.  

Answer 3

Homework, Parents, and seeing everyone else with gauges, piercings and tattoos.  

Answer 4

I think that if people mutilate themselves it could be because they're thinking that they're really "gaining" something in return. Maybe somesort of sick satisfaction of 'sacrifice' = gives them determination to do what they do as they've detached themselves from the world, and casted themselves in the category of being 'alone.'

could be because to gain pity?

could be because they think it's the cause of their suffering?

could be because of many reasons.