How can I explain that cutting is an addiction?

[King_of_Hearts]

I was just wondering... How do I explain that cutting is addicting to the person doing it?

[germangirl]

I don’t understand why you have to explain that to someone who cuts himself. I mean, they probably know that already. If you want somebody to stop cutting you don’t need to explain that it’s an addiction. Either they already know that it is or they won’t believe you. I personally have always thought I could control my self harm (now I know I could not). But in most cases the people who cut themselves come to a point where they can’t control it anymore. I don’t think you can convince a person who cuts of the fact that it’s an addiction unless he or she realizes that by himself/herfself.

If you want a explanation for cutting as an addiction, maybe that'll help: “It can become a compulsive behavior — meaning that the more a person does it, the more he or she feels the need to do it. The brain starts to connect the false sense of relief from bad feelings to the act of cutting, and it craves this relief the next time tension builds. When cutting becomes a compulsive behavior, it can seem impossible to stop. So cutting can seem almost like an addiction, where the urge to cut can seem too hard to resist. A behavior that starts as an attempt to feel more in control can end up controlling you.” (source: internet research)