Does cutting for only a few months and stopping make me any less of a self-harmer?
210 Answers
Last Updated: 05/11/2022 at 4:37pm
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
October 7th, 2016 3:31am
No. I feel it is still identified as self harming even though it is not frequent. It is more about the act than the frequency itself.
Anonymous
October 15th, 2016 1:06pm
Self-harm can get addictive sometimes so stopping for a short period of time may not be very affective.
Anonymous
October 20th, 2016 4:00am
If you're committed to stopping, then you are not a self-harmer but more of an endurer of those feelings. You would be recovering. Self-harming makes you a self-harmer. If you are not self-harming, then you are not a self-harmer. I'm not saying that it's okay to hurt yourself, but just know that you are not defined by labels. You matter. You are more than labels such as "self-harmer" and "depressed" etc.
Anonymous
October 23rd, 2016 10:21pm
No, any amount of self inflicted harm for any period of time will still make you a self-harmer. If you self-harmed once it doesn't make you any less of one compared so someone who may have done it daily for over a year.
No. Self- harm is self-harm. Whether you do it once, twice, 30 times, does not lessen the severity. Every type/ time period a person self-harms is just as important as another type/ time period and should be addressed.
Sadly, it does not. You are still a self-harmer, and always will have that identity with you. It goes with a lot of other examples such as alcoholics. They were alcoholics, but will always have an urge to take a drink. In the same way, you will always have that identity apart of you, and will always deep down want to go back. However it should be said that I am VERY proud of you for not going back and making that decision. You are strong and beautiful. Keep doing what you are doing
You obviously still had a lot of inner struggle and grief, if you had any cause to harm yourself. I am sorry that you found yourself in this situation. I hope you are feeling better these days and taking care of yourself. You might like to try colouring or going for a walk or meditating if any of those are helpful. There are lots of support groups online too. Take care.
Even sporadically, self-harm is not minor behavior and is not something to be taken lightly. I am not sure about the labeling, but I highly recommend you see someone to support you through the emotions you are feeling when you get the urge to harm yourself. Whether that means you speak to someone when the moment arises so you can prevent it or you see someone regularly who can help you identify the emotions and situations that lead up to it.
It does not make you more or less of a self-harmer. Usually we self harm based on our emotions and circumstances, so you may not be considered a self-harmer now, if similar emotions or circumstances were to occur again then you could be considered at risk of doing self-harm again.
Anonymous
January 29th, 2017 11:22pm
When you cut, you want to harm yourself and try to release the emotional pain, which only gives you some satisfaction and you gain scars (which may be perminant). But when you stop, you still self-harmed. Which still makes you a self-harmer. But some say you are less of a self-harmer and others say no.
Yes and no. You should never label yourself as a self-harmer no matter what you have done or do to your body. If you self-harm that's self-harm. NO label makes you no less of a person and stopping something like that is a victory to be praised for!
Well, it means you have self-harmed at some point but if you have stopped then I would say you are a recovering self-harmer, or a former self-harmer. This is nothing to be ashamed of, it is a sign you have fought a battle and that you have won! Well done :)
Anonymous
April 7th, 2017 11:40pm
By cutting only for a few months and stopping makes you a survivor of self-harm, you are not labelled by this title 'Self-harmer' and by stopping you have achieved a brave part of life and of finding yourself. We are very proud of you for this. You are not defined by your past, you are a survivor and you are allowed to be proud of this.
Anonymous
April 26th, 2017 10:51pm
I have experience of this. It doesn't make you any less than a self-harmer. It makes you a person who had been going through problems, possibly like all self-harmers, this is the case, but you're a person going through these problems and you decide to self-harm, but you stop. It makes you a self-harmer who decided they could make their life better. They could change.
Self-Harm Hurts and I understand that Cutting is away of feeling in control. Understanding why we use cutting as method of emotional control is essential to stopping the act. a Self-assessment of what is going on inside or trying to understand what is causing the hurt may help. In the mean time please try the ICE trick. when you want to hurt by cutting take a piece of ice and hold it in your hand until it melts. Seek immediate helps such as calling the cops or a friend.
Cutting, like any other addiction, can last a very long time for some people. Stopping means you are an extremely strong person.
Anonymous
May 21st, 2017 2:16pm
If you have self-harmed in your life, you have self-harmed, you can't change that. However, if you have successfully managed to quit, that makes you agreeable less of a self-harmer in some cases.
It is a sign of great improvement.
Anyone going through this situation can go through it so a little change is alot.
Anonymous
July 7th, 2017 8:15pm
No, if somebody is pushed to the point where they feel like the only solution to their problem or way of escaping the emotional pain is self inflicted physical pain - even if it is just for a few months - then there is something wrong. Even if you feel like you don't need help or to talk to anybody about it just because you only did it for a few months then you are wrong. Identifying and understanding what caused us to do it and why we did is an important step in recovery so that you can stop yourself if you ever get the urge to do it again.
Anonymous
August 9th, 2017 9:13pm
Personally my thoughts are that there are no differences between a short term and long term self harmer except the short term self harmer has found another way to cope quicker than the long term.
It simply means that you did self-harm. Don't label yourself based off of your negative actions, that will only lead you to discomfort with yourself.
It does not. Self harm is something that a lot of people struggle with. Just because it isn't effecting you at the current moment doesn't mean you aren't still struggling with it. You could always relapse and that makes you just as much of a self-garner as anyone else and puts you in just as much danger.
Anonymous
September 14th, 2017 2:21am
You still self-harmed, but you stopped so you are nolonger a self-harmer as long as you're not actively self-harming. You're just an exself-harmer
The act of cutting yourself is self-harm, the length in which you do it does not make you any more or any less of a "self-harmer." Although, engaging in self-harm does not automatically label you a "self-harmer." You can choose to label yourself that or not, it's completely up to you.
Simple answer. No. Self harm is self harm whether its doing physical cuts ir twanting an elastic band on your body. Its self harm. Oten people don't realise that they are committing acts of self harm until it turns to the more definitive stage of physically cutting oneself. Even when its done for a few months.
No, it doesn't. There is no minimum lenght of suffering needed to be taken seriously. You're not a "fake self-harmer" because you stopped earlier than some others. You are worthy of help, support, love, and everything else. Even if you just self-harmed once, you're worthy of being taken seriously. Even if you never self-harmed but only had thoughts of doing it, you deserve attention and support. Everybody deserves to be taken seriously, to be loved, and to be supported.
No, a self harmer self harms when they are feeling hurt, stressed, suffering from anxiety etc.. any form of self harm is bad
No, it doesn't, but you shouldn't concern yourself with titles and labels. Pain is pain. There is no need to measure or demean someone's experience because of how frequent or deep someone cuts. You're valid.
Anonymous
November 16th, 2017 7:37pm
No, I don't think it does. Self harm is self harm. Time doesn't matter. What matters is that you did it.
Well it makes you a ‘former’ self-harmer but in case you are to cut again, then it makes you a self-harmer (presently)
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