Question?

[pageplant77]

I'm a pretty optimistic guy, I have a generally positive outlook on life. So I've never been depressed or anything, well I have, but only in small doses.
Anyways I was just wondering, WHY people cut and harm themselves when they're depressed or even just sad? What's the psychology behind it? :confused:

[fenrirdies]

Some people show their feelings with tears others with blades.

[Brokeandbetrayed]

It varies per person, some do it as a punishment because they think everything that happens is there fault ( that's why I cut on occasions), some do it because of stress, family, broken relationships/friendships. Those are just a few I could name of the top of my head.

[CyanideGoodnight]

It usually starts as an impulse. At least, it did for me. One day I was pissed and clawed my wrist, somehow found I liked it, and kept doing it, eventually it became an addiction... and it got really bad so whenever I got angry I would cut, but now I'm getting better....

But usually it's a control, a release, an addiction... other things too. It's different for everyone though.

[xdancing_for_rainx]

Like Brokenandbetrayed said, it can vary depending on the person. I personally started cutting due to several family problems, bullying, and self-hatred. Then that progressed to become my way to deal with other things. I've used it to numb myself if I'm being overemotional, or to feel something if I'm too numb (yeah, I know it sounds contradictory). Sometimes I feel that I need to punish myself, and I get that satisfaction out of hurting myself. It's an unhealthy coping method I use to take out my emotions and feel more in control of my life.

Eventually it becomes like an addiction. When you get hurt, your brain sends out chemicals (endorphins) that make you feel good. Over time, you can become addicted to these endorphins, which makes it difficult to stop self-harming.

[pageplant77]

....
All I know is that when I get cut from something, I find it to be a burden, and an annoyance.
So if I was depressed, and I cut myself, I think that would make matters worse. I'd be depressed and annoyed because of the pain and bleeding..
That's my standpoint on this though.
I guess I've never been depressed enough to even try to harm myself. Personally, I don't see the benefactor in it. I guess that's something that you have to "be there" to understand it.

[xktx]

it starts out as a way to gain control, its the one type of pain you can control, eventually it becomes an addiction. x
Other people do it to punish themselves as they feel they deserve it. x

[ShadowGirl]

The first time I did it was because I was so angry and I needed to release my feelings somehow. Now I do it so I can feel something. I always feel numb except for when I cut.

[Love.Hate]

It does make matters worse your right, but at the time it makes things better. Even if its only for a minute or so. Everyone does it for many reasons, i do it to regain control of situations where i have lost control. It makes me feel better, and its addictive. I guess its just one of those things you can never truely understand until you have done it :/

[stories]

I wasn't sure the reasoning behind it either. But then I tried it. Now it just happens when I am emotionally stressed out or panicky for some reason.
I don't do it often though, or try not to. And I stop when I see everything because I do want free and clear skin. But it just happens sometimes.
I agree with Fraaan that you won't really know until you do it, but I don't recommend others trying it just to see why others do it. I can be addicting.

[fenrirdies]

some times I do it because I find It fun I like pain

[PartyPoison]

Mine was to gain control.
Now it controls me.

[georgiamay]

It all varies from person to person. It's not like every self harmer has had the same experience with it.

Mine started out as a impulse. I didn't really know what I was doing, or understand it, until I'd done it. Then I felt a kind of release, like all of my problems were literally leaving me. I didn't do it again for a while, but I started to feel overwhelmed, like if I didn't do something, I'd probably have a huge panic attack and end up running out of the house and infront of a car or something. So I thought I'd do it one more time.

It carried on like that for a while, until eventually, I started to want to cut even though I felt okay. The feeling of wanting to cut, but knowing it's wrong, drove me completely insane until I just did it.

Now, I haven't done it for a 75 days now, because I've been in therapy for the last 9 months. But when I was still doing it, it was a mixture of things.

1) I needed the release, and in that moment, I feel like if I don't get that release I won't be able to cope and will end up killing myself.
2) To punish myself for whatever reason.
3) An inpulse. I just did it for no reason that I can think of, even at the time I don't know why, it just happened.
4) I dissociated, and cutting snaps me out of it.
5) It gives me something else to focus on other than the thoughts I was having.
6) It calmed me down when I felt like I was about to freak out.
7) It makes me feel something when I can't feel anything at all.
8) Sometimes, I'd do it because I hadn't done it for so long, and that scared the shit out of me, because I felt like I needed it.

[saveme]

bcuz its a way to get your mind off whats bothering yew, all thats on the cutters mind is the pain of the cut.

[xXl0sth0peXx]

As said, for a lot of people.. it's a form of punishment.

For me personally.. I really don't know.. It just makes me feel better for a little bit. A lot of times, I'm cutting after a really bad argument or fight at home with my parents.. and I have no idea I'm doing it until after. And then I feel horrible that I did it, and punish myself by doing it more.

Although I think the reasons that georgiamay posted pretty much summed it all up. Not everyone cuts for all those reasons, but many cut for at least one.

[Fiction]

I know I often did it to block out thoughts. I could put all my focus and energy into cutting rather than whatever it was I was thinking about.

I also do it a lot to take out anger. I'm a reaaaaally calm person. I have practically no anger drive towards other people, yet when I get upset I tend to release all this anger towards myself. If you've ever felt like hitting someone, it's like that. Just towards yourself. I guess once you've become addicted to it, that urge to do it becomes 10x stronger. At the end of the day it does just make your self hate yourself more though :/