First time you ever experimented with self-harm?

I was 10 and I got yelled at really bad and felt useless and I don't really remember what was going through my head but I knew I wanted to feel pain so I took a disposable razor smashed it and used that.

Recently was the first time. I had felt so low that day. I received bad news and was in so much pain emotionally. I was in my work uniform and realized I still had my box cutter in my pocket. I just thought maybe just one cut would make it hurt less on the inside. Take my mind off the pain. I didn't know it would feel so good and I couldn't stop. Now I have seven cuts down my arm and I have to keep it covered. I'm ashamed and scared of what people will think if they see it.

I was in 6th grade and my friend was doing it because she was feeling sad and I thought it was a good idea and it wouldn't be that bad, so I got a safety pin and started scratching at my skin. Then about a week later I took the blade out of a pencil sharpener and made a little cut on my wrist. I instantly felt relieved. Now here I am, several years later, and I can't stop. And it's only getting worse....

Very, very recently. I ate a lot of food that day and I thought punishing myself for the absence of control. I'm scare I won't be able to stop cause it really free me.

When I was 8. When I was living with my aunt and I felt like no one was there for me so I just grabbed a scissor and cut over my skin. I've been cutting for almost 8 years now.

I used a safety pin i saw, it was the sharpest thing near me, i was blinded by anger. I hated myself so much, still do, but i needed to punish myself. All i was thinking was how could i exist how could i look at myself. I needed to punish myself, so i dragged it across my wrist, and i felt such relief. I felt assurance, in a strange way, like i had a second chance? From then on it was just more reasons, im not smart enough, im not pretty enough, im not skinny, im just not presentable. And it kept happening so much bc i felt better doing it, even though i felt so ashamed after. But at the time, it gave me relief and peace, like everything was going to be ok. But then i got ahold of a razor, and the cuts are deeper and they take longer to heal. But at least i have a peace of mind while doing it:(

I was 9 it was after the death of my second father (my first had also previously passed when I was 7. I felt (feel?) like I was a walking death magnet at this point with all the tragic deaths that had occurred this early in my life. I ended up coming to the conclusion that the best way to make sure I didn't cause my mom or brother to die was to kill myself so they would be happy again. I ended up taking a metal can, (might have been an empty hairspray bottle or something I don't remember honestly) and had repeatedly hit my head until I started bleeding. By this point I was dizzy and lightheaded and had ended up collapsing. My mom had found me and thought that I'd passed out and hit my head on the counter by accident. She still doesn't know I self harm despite the numerous scars.

I first self-harmed when I was 15. I had spent several months dealing with a couple of those Facebook suicide and self-harm support groups. By the way, don't use those types of groups, they aren't necessarily safe. Use 7 cups or call a crisis line. Anyway, I originally just came to them because I wanted to find a supportive environment after getting out of the psych ward for suicidal thoughts. However, those groups were desperate for moderators to help deal with the constant influx of messages from people who were struggling with very stressful situations. I kind of ended up being an unofficial moderator. It was not a very good arrangement considering that I had already been struggling with my own issues. I tried to fix too many people without fixing myself. Eventually, the stress drove me to finding new ways to cope. I would leave miniscule cuts on part of my arm with a knife, but I made a lot of them. I hid them underneath my watch. That wasn't the last time I self harmed. It got out of control, I must admit. After an actual suicide attempt landed me in another psych ward I swore that I would never self-harm or try and end my life again. I still have thoughts of self harming once in a blue moon, but I haven't acted on them since the second psych ward. I know I am worth more than that now. I know that behavior does me no good, and it just hurts myself, my family, and my friends. I am happy to say that I have a more positive outlook on life now. Every breath on this earth is refreshing to me. To all of you in this thread, I hope you get out or continue to stay out of the situations which cause or caused you all of that pain. I wish nothing but the best for you beautiful people. We can all make it on this path to healing. It just takes baby steps. :)

I've harmed in one way or another for as long as I can remember. I asked my mom about it and she caught me biting myself as a punishment to myself at 4. It's evolved since then but typically it's me "punishing" myself for something I think I did wrong.

About a couple of months ago