Major dilemma please help

[JeSuisAmericaine]

I know someone who used to cut. Or at least that's what she said. I don't know how I can trust her; she showed me a scar on her wrist one day and told me she had been cutting carrots and it wasn't until later I found she was attempting suicide. She also has a friend who cuts, and talks about it as if it were perfectly normal behavior.

Causes? Stress, I guess, would be part of it. She's a very good ballet dancer, and though I can't pretend to know too much about it, I know it gets very stressful and competitive. She also has parents who I think may be kind of abusive. Her mother uses corporal punishment, nothing too bad from what I know, slapping from what she told me. She tells me it's not truly abuse but "disciplinary action", but it seems like a fairly regular occurrence.

What's more: She's my girlfriend. I didn't know any of this at the beginning, and now I don't know what to think. I still love her as much as ever. I just can't stand thinking of her hurting herself or anyone else causing her harm. Her parents would hate it if they found out she was with someone, and I'm worried that my being there would just add to the problem. I also don't feel like I can trust her. She promised me today after we talked about it that she wouldn't hurt herself, but I still don't know. Trust is necessary to a relationship, and I feel like I don't know her at all. I also don't want to break up with her because I really do love her but also that it might come as a blow and cause her more harm.

I've talked to a few people about this but none have actually given me a solution. PLEASE HELP ME.

[nobody091]

First, I know its hard to wrap your head around self harm in general if you never did it. I am not sure how much understanding you have but in any case you shouldn't be angry at her because she cuts and you shouldn't force her to stop it (let me explain), all you can do is be mental help when she needs it. In my opinion best way to stop self harm is to deal with the problems causing it, which is of course not always possible but you can talk to her about it if she wants to.
My best friend (girl) has boyfriend. Why she is still with him is a long story so i will skip that. He is kindof an asshole, he knows she cuts and tries to stop her by any cause, he usually takes her razors when she get depressed. That simply doesnt work. Also, you cannot expect her to stop from day to day, endorphin is adictive and with just like smoking or any other addiction it simply isnt possible to "just stop". There is no reason why you shouldn't trust her, she will tell you as much as she wants and there is no way to change it. All you can do is to build her trust and talk to her about this kind of things (if she wants), it starts making more sense to you.
I don't know how much you have been depressed before but it takes whole lot of depression to start cutting and way more to attempt suicide. People don't usually think about it that way but when you realize how much person has to be screwed up so he wants to die its almost kind of scary. People don't cut for no reason (at least they don't start for no reason) and you should keep that in mind.
Anyway, you shouldn't blame yourself for her depression and for person as she is, it is always better to have someone who she can trust and speak to when she needs to.