why does cutting make me feel better but then bad afterwards?

In the moment, cutting gives people this high feeling, sort of like an adrenaline boost. You may want to do it more and more, but once you stop, your logics and morals take over, making you feel bad.

When it comes to sensing physical and emotional pain, our brains use the same two areas: the anterior insula, a small patch of neural real estate that’s part of the cerebral cortex behind each ear, and the anterior cingulate cortex, a hook-shaped piece of brain tissue towards the front of the brain. These are the areas in the brain that process pain, regardless of whether we’ve felt the sting of rejection or the sting of a bee. Pain relievers also act on these two areas, regardless of whether someone is experiencing emotional or physical pain. A 2010 study in Psychological Science revealed that the pain relievers such as Tylenol or paracetamol (acetaminophen) helped to relieve the distress associated with social rejection and also decreased activity in the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex. This doesn’t mean that Tylenol is the next Prozac, but it does show just how intertwined emotional and physical pain are in the brain. The problem is that the embarrassment and guilt of cutting, the knowledge that these marks would become permanently tattooed into my skin, and the fears that someone would discover what i was doing, meant that any relief was short-lived. All too soon, I was feeling worse than before, leaving me vulnerable to repeat episodes of emotional pain, followed by even more cutting.

Self harm is a coping method, though it is considered a negative one. Negative coping methods have a hurtful impact on oneself or others around them. In this case, cutting has a negative effect on the self-harmer and also the people around them. When the human body experiences pain, it releases its own pain killers, called endorphins. Endorphins also dictate levels of happiness, or that “feel good feeling” that one experiences after cutting themselves. The body rushes endorphins to the pain center in an attempt to reduce pain, so a sort of euphoria can often take place following self harm. However, more often than not, people who self harm can feel very guilty or bad afterwards. They begin thinking about their actions, those actions’ consequences, and all of the bad things that come with self harm. In general, it’s important to find coping methods that make you feel better and good afterwards, not feel better and then bad afterwards, as we often find is the case with cutting. I hope this helped!

The adrenaline released when you cut will make you temporarily happy, but once this wears of you realise the reality of the situation and might feel guilty for what you have done

For me, It's because, in the moment, it seems like it will make me feel so much better, sort of like a placebo. Later, it makes me feel paranoid that someone's going to catch me and be disappointed, so It doesn't end well.

It's a really temporary thing, you feel like you forget everything that is wrong in your life and it makes you feel good for a while but then your problems came back.

Your body releases endorphins (feel good hormones) but the effects cuttthas soon wears of this is how it becomes addictive

Cutting is a way to release or distract yourself from negative feelings. It's just like how meditating or taking a walk does the same thing, only those are safer alternatives. That's why it can become so addicting. It feels good during, but it might be likely that you feel guilty or the "good" effect of cutting wears out afterward and you're back to how you feel before you self-harmed in the first place.

Because it's an initial release of endorphins. You're mind focuses solely on one thing so it seems 'relaxing'. Unfortunately afterwards you start to feel ashamed and useless because you've just done something that you know is negative.

Cutting and other forms of self harm are coping mechanisms for some people. They are very harmful! Why you might feel "better" whilst doing it is because it my take your mind away from what you're trying to escape from. But that is only temporary. You may feel bad afterwards because you realise it hasn't solved or helped with your problems and worries, AND it has created new ones as well. Self harming never leads to feeling better in the long run and finding healthy and harmless coping mechanisms is much much more beneficial.

It may make you feel good in the moment, but then you have to worry about what you've done afterwards.

It makes you feel better because it takes your mind off of what is wrong at that moment in time but afterwards you feel bad because you know what you did was wrong and you’ll have that scar as a reminder of a tough time in your life.

It gives you control of some pain and also takes away some of the emotional pain by refocusing your attention to the physical pain but in the end, doesnt solve the main issue that bothers you.

Self-harm is a temporary and ineffective coping mechanism to mask our negative feelings. It’s a “band-aid”, and all it does is produce a stronger sensation so you can forget that you’re sad or angry or anxious. Once that wears off, those feelings are back. It’s important to learn better coping behaviors that allow you to lessen the feelings rather than try not to feel them.

You cut yourself in the heap of the moment. You’re just angry or upset and it’s something that you share with yourself that makes it a relief. You feel like the blade is ‘taking away the pain.’ And once you’re done and you see the scar you’ve left behind you begin to feel sad because you weren’t strong enough. You let your emotions empower you and due to that you have destroyed your body in return.

To begin with, in a moment of despair, self-hate or anxiety, cutting can feel like a form of escape or a physical release from the pain and panic we feel in that moment. It could also feel like a form of self-punishment or like a way to 'feel' something when our emotional body is numbed by feelings of depression. After we have self-harmed however, we may experience guilt or even embarrassment. We may fear that someone will see and judge us, or we judge ourselves as we may feel we lack self-control and that our self harming is a sign that we are no longer able to handle our everyday lives. Ultimately, it can be upsetting to know that we are using self-harm as a coping mechanism rather than cultivating self-care/love. Cutting is just one form of a self destructive coping mechanism which can serve as a temporary 'fix'. Other examples include excessive alcohol consumption, taking drugs and engaging in self-hateful thinking.

Self-harm often is coping mechanism that provides some relief that is only short term. The pain of a cut can release endorphins which make you feel a little better but not for long. You probably seem bad due to guilt or shame or the belief that cutting is not a good coping mechanisms. There are many coping skills that can provide you relief without the bad feeling afterwards.

It is not uncommon for cutting to make you feel good at first. Cutting triggers a release of endorphins in the brain which cause you to have an actual high, their purpose is to act as “painkillers”. But once the chemical is gone, you probably feel somewhat guilty or ashamed of yourself. I want to add that although cutting may seem a temporary and useful coping mechanism, it is very addictive and in the long run becomes extremely detrimental to you and your mental health. There are listeners and therapists here on 7 cups who understand, and are more than happy to help you through this. Remember that whatever is making you feel the need to self harm, you are bigger than that and you most definitely can overcome it ❤️

It release the pain in my head and often let's me feel something when I feel numb. However I then have these cuts and s are I feel I have to hide and the pain is horrible the next day. If my family or friends found out I don't know what it would do it makes me so anxious

Cutting temporarily releases chemicals that make you happy and feel better but after that wears off then you're usually left feeling guilty and upset.

Because your brain associates that harmful method as a coping mechanism. And then your brain releases endorphins. But you feel guilty afterwards because you deep down think that you deserve better than to take your problems out on yourself. And you do anyway.

Because it relish you of your anger, frustration and sadness when you're doing it, but afterwards, all those feelings come back. Cutting doesn't resolve the problem you were having in the first place

Because you're thrilled by its sensation. Cutting yourself has its own sensation.. knowing you hurt yourself physically makes you think that you're making yourself better mentally.. so you just do it without second thought.. but then afterwards you'll feel guilty because you hurt yourself badly.. If you really want to change, whenever you feel like want to cut yourself, please stop.comtrol your mind, refocus it onto something else that's more positive. Write a journal, sing, dance to your song, draw something, play games, run around the blocks, listen to the music or maybe you can do some coloring or arts.. be creative.. who knows you had a hidden talent you never knew before..☺ or maybe you can even just take a walk around the neighborhood, go to park and take a deep breath :)

maybe because you think you deserve the pain at first but then afterwards you realise you probably shouldnt of done it because its not good for you, please talk to someone if you need to.

Research has stated cutting maybe consider as a type drug or a high/rush such as from cocaine. That could be for one reasoning.

Cutting is a way of expressing anger and is an in the moment move. Afterwards you tend to regret it because youre no longer feeling upset or angry.

It gives you a reason for your pain when you aren't sure why you hurt, which helps relieve it temporarily. But afterwards, you could be left with feelings of guilt.

Cutting releases many "feel-good" chemicals, the brain sends these signals for these chemicals to be released as a result of injury. Hence why cutting can lead to addiction because lf the euphoric feeling it can bring because of this chemical reaction. The sadness or bad feeling afterwards in most cases is caused by guilt.

Cutting is a way of coping with intense emotions and feel like you're in control and at first it does seem like so, but then you start to realize that you could've done things differently. You realize there was another way of coping and wonder why you couldn't see it earlier.

In the moment it is your coping mechanism and so it makes you feel better because in your mind that will ease your pain, however, it can feel bad afterwards because you realise that it's not the answer. You may feel guilty for indulging in something that brought you momentary pleasure but is, in fact, bad for you.