Why can't I stop self-harming, even when I know it is bad?
Alph
on
Jan 20, 2015
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Self-harming can become an addiction to some people that enjoy the feeling, want to show themself or feel depressed, in my case it was a way of transforming psychological pain that is hard to deal with with physical pain that was much easier to deal with; everyone has its own way of stopping, it could be out of shock for a deep wound, by seeing the pain experienced by the people they care about or maybe just because self-harming doesn't help anything, it leaves the problem that is troubling you and it leaves scars that you'll have to carry for the rest of your life
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rightasrain
on
Jan 24, 2015
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Self-harm is really an addiction. It becomes something that you think you need, but trust me, you don't! It can be extremely hard to stop, especially if you have been doing it for a long time; the same as drugs or alcohol. You get so used to it and the feeling that it's hard to quit. There are so many better coping methods out there; you just have to find the right one for you! It will be tough, but you can definitely get through it.
Anonymous
on
May 29, 2018
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Self harming is an addiction. Just like drugs. Most drugatics know what they are putting into their body is bad but they cannot stop.
Anonymous
on
Feb 17, 2015
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There's several factors in self harm. You could find the act of it calming, or could be using it as an emotional outlet. The pain releases endorphins, which could also cause a sort of physical addiction. Substituting healthier behaviors that also feel good can help a lot, and when you get really bad urges, you can hold an ice cube or snap a rubberband against your skin for temporary relief that won't damage your skin as much.
gentleRabbit
on
Mar 12, 2015
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Self-harming can sometimes grow into a very scary thing; an addiction. The reason is because it makes you feel better, it takes the pain from your heart and puts it somewhere else. Unfortunately, though we realize this is unhealthy our bodies become addicted to this kind of release. The best thing you can do is recognize that you have a problem, and seek help in trying to stop it. Relapsing is OKAY, do not feel ashamed. It is all part of the recovery process, you might feel things similar to withdrawal symptoms during your recovery. Getting over self-harming can be very difficult, but as long as you keep trying, you'll overcome it!
snugglyEmbrace71
on
Mar 27, 2015
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It's a reinforcing habit where it momentarily draws your attention from mental pain to physical pain. There was a period of time where I found relief through it too. But nothing is worth causing physical harm to myself. With the help of my counsellor, I started practising other techniques like wearing a rubberband on my wrist and pulling it when I felt stressed or holding ice. It gave me momentary relief without causing physical harm.
HealingLotus
on
May 6, 2015
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Self-harming is serving a purpose. It gives you relief, comfort and/or maybe is a punishment. to stop self-harming, you need to fill your needs a different way.
ZeMightyGiant
on
Jun 17, 2015
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Because some people find relief in self harming. They know it is bad, but they still do it, Because it's the only solution they found to feel less pain inside.
ErikaC
on
Jul 7, 2015
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Even though you know it is not good for you, self-harming serves a purpose for you. It may temporarily decrease your feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, or other difficult emotions. It can be difficult to let go of self-harming behavior when you aren't aware of other ways to cope with your feelings. The 7 Cups Self-Help Guide to Managing Emotions might be helpful for you as a starting point. If you are struggling with self-harm, it might also be helpful to speak with a professional counselor who can help you learn how to cope with difficult feelings.
ICareAboutYou11
on
Dec 15, 2015
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Self-harm begins to become addictive, like smoking cigarettes, or doing drugs. Once you do it regularly, it begins to become a way of life and part of your daily routine. The more you do it, the harder it is to stop.
Marimac
on
Jan 25, 2016
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Self harming can become an addiction rather than just a coping mechanism. When you try to quit self harm you might suffer withdrawal symptoms which make you feel like you need to cut again even though you know it's bad.
ChocolateOrange
on
Feb 22, 2016
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Self-harm is usually a coping mechanism, usually if you're overwhelmed by your feelings it can be a distraction or the rush that follows the pain temporarily makes the feelings go away. Like any coping mechanism, if you try to stop without replacing it with another one, you will struggle. First find other ways to cope with the feelings you're having, if it's possible try and deal with the problem causing those feelings and then you can begin to try and stop self-harming.
abhiii
on
Feb 23, 2016
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Well yes i can stop self harming some times becuase of the mistakes cause i never can blame any person for my problem where i can neither fight them nor harm them hence even knowing its bad to do so I'll just do it to never commit the same mistake again ;(
Anonymous
on
May 2, 2016
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Self harming can become addictive. When you keep doing it can becoming comforting or familiar. And you just want to keep doing it. It's almost like getting stuck in a rut. It's very difficult to stop. But it is possible so don't give up. When you feel the urge to cut find help or someone to talk to.
Anonymous
on
May 10, 2016
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self harming is certainly an addiction. Though it is bad, relief related horomones are released and the feelings of it is seminal enough to make the person continue to inflict pain.
freshLove97
on
Jun 13, 2016
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Self-harm is an addiction. When you're under stress and you cut, your body releases endorphins to deal with the physical pain, Endorphins are the "happy hormones", so mentally, as a result of this you feel better.
Anonymous
on
Aug 29, 2016
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Self-harm is additive it is habit forming consider the difficulty of stopping self-harm to the Difficulty of someone who's trying to stop smoking both are challenging to overcome
Samuelll
on
Jul 11, 2017
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well, you have to find out why you are doing it in the first place, address the cause.
Self-harming seems like a symptom while you need to treat the cause.
EllaBeeLins
on
Jul 8, 2019
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Self-harm/mutilation is typically used as a coping mechanism when someone else has few or no either ways to let go of some sort of negative emotions. This is because the brain sees the pain; and forgets about the emotional issues; even if it is just for a moment or few at a time. Usually, people know self-harming is bad, but it is like an addiction, almost like a drug. You can’t stop because you feel better when you self-harm. You may somehow feel as if you deserve this kind of pain, but in reality you don’t deserve the pain. If you wanna to stop self harming you can text ‘help’ to 741-741, or speak to a listener on 7cups
