Mainly for female cutters

[RaeNose]

So, today 17 came in (This would be why it's mainly for girls, seeing as guys will not be reading that magazine.) and there is an article. Usually, they do stuff about drinking and relationship abuse and eating disorders, but they actually had SI as the big bad topic that no one talks about.
So, if you've read it (or when you do read it, now that i've mentioned it) what do you think?

Personally, it made me sick and weak to think about where I came from. I've almost made it to 3 months, but it made me think about all of those emotions and looking at the picture of the girl's scars... I wanted to throw up and cut and burn and do everything in my power to make myself feel better.
But I know I have to keep fighting.
Because Sam comes home from Morro Bay on Friday, and I don't want to let him see me go through another relapse.

Before you read it, please be careful. I don't want anyone to go through unnecessary temptation to read about stuff you already know.

[SincEreLyYeLLiNgBaCk]

congratulations for being cut-free since may 20th :) so yeah... i haven't actually read the article but I saw an interview thing on the Today show about it and i felt so... exposed. I was on the treadmill at the gym and as it was playing on the tv i felt so paranoid, like everyone knew that i was a cutter and was about to point and make fun of me. It was almost like she was broadcasting all my secrets to america; i felt betrayed. I know the girl and seventeen and the Today show were just trying to bring awareness to the issue, but it felt weird to have all these people who don't KNOW about it, know about it. Does that make sense? (oh and i wanted to throw up and cut too wen i saw it, so don't feel alone in that)

[kt2369]

yea i read that too. i felt disgusted also... the article made it seem so gross. i thought i was alone on that!

feel free to pm me(:

[RaeNose]

It just felt so ridiculous. They were talking about how to deal with a friend that's cutting... so many of my friends did NOT do that with me. I mean, this article and so much of the new media stuff that's coming out can end up being a double-edged sword. Yeah, people are going to know about this which will hopefully bring knowledge and respect into discussions, but on the other hand, people will feel like they know everything and think they have the "responsibility to help" when they don't even know what's going on. Frankly, those who cut are less likely to commit suicide. It's a coping mechanism, and I would rather have a friend that's scarred than a friend who's dead.
....
I might just send that part in. Hmmm.

[SincEreLyYeLLiNgBaCk]

haha you should send it in. lol and i too hate how so many people think cutting goes hand in hand with suicide. (and how the media encourages this notion). so yeah, its weird because when I read all the stuff on here (VT) it seems real and it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable or disgusted, but that article kinda seemed too... commericial (?) to me. Like I couldn't sympathize with how she felt. does that make sense?

[kt2369]

that article just made me feel that everyone knew about me cutting.
my friends think i will kill myself. but i never would.

[RaeNose]

I know where you're coming from on the commercial idea. But, it wasn't the interviewee's fault. She was just producing her story, and when magazines and news articles come up with all the side statistics... well, it makes you feel like a statistic.

I also understand the whole thing about feeling so exposed. When I was trying not to cut, I made the mistake of not wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Someone asked what the scars were from, and I lied. I lied to my friends, I lied in front of my bf, I lied in front of a teacher walking past. I said they were all from my out of control cat. Sam even backed me up, even though later he expressed his concern about my lying about it. They only say my right arm, and not my left, which has the words stop and I'm sorry on it. I don't lie about it now, but being exposed like that is NOT FUN.

[kaysaurusx]

I think it was good to bring awareness to this issue, but it's crazy that they take it that far.
I didn't see the Today show interview, but I can only imagine how exaggerated they made self-injury. People view it as a disgusting act, but to me and other SIers, it's how we deal.
I think people are just looking for the next teen craze to freak out over. There's been diet pills, steroids, and a whole slew of other things that parents dissect in teenagers, and this is their new topic.

[muppletart]

I think it was good to bring awareness to this issue, but it's crazy that they take it that far.
I didn't see the Today show interview, but I can only imagine how exaggerated they made self-injury. People view it as a disgusting act, but to me and other SIers, it's how we deal.
I think people are just looking for the next teen craze to freak out over. There's been diet pills, steroids, and a whole slew of other things that parents dissect in teenagers, and this is their new topic.

That's like reading this:
I didn't see the Today show interview, but I can only imagine how exaggerated they made taking herion. People view it as a disgusting, dangerous, ruthless and illegal act, but to me and other heroin addicts, it's how we deal.

Inappropriate comments removed.

~Jetfire

[RaeNose]

People think it's wrong for an entirely different reason than I do. I don't know. I mainly believe that cutting isn't disgusting, but it's still wrong. It separates one from the outside world. You hide your true self from your friends and family. You're learning to cope without the help of others. We were created as social creatures. We are meant to lift each other up and encourage one another to live to our fullest. When you don't have those people to talk to and relate to.... you lose it. You start adapting and finding harmful ways to cope. The reason behind cutting isn't bad in itself, but the lengths we go to in order to keep ourselves sane. You know?
I don't know if I was completely rambling or if any of that made sense.

[YesterdaysNews]

I read the article today. like other people mentioned, I felt like it was making into a commercialized thing. I think its good to bring awareness to the issue but this article doesnt sit right with me... I kinda felt offended in a way... but thats just me... I felt like this girl was telling the world my secret...

[SincEreLyYeLLiNgBaCk]

People think it's wrong for an entirely different reason than I do. I don't know. I mainly believe that cutting isn't disgusting, but it's still wrong. It separates one from the outside world. You hide your true self from your friends and family. You're learning to cope without the help of others. We were created as social creatures. We are meant to lift each other up and encourage one another to live to our fullest. When you don't have those people to talk to and relate to.... you lose it. You start adapting and finding harmful ways to cope. The reason behind cutting isn't bad in itself, but the lengths we go to in order to keep ourselves sane. You know?
I don't know if I was completely rambling or if any of that made sense.
omg you just spoke my thoughts!! and yeah i think wen the media aproaches the issue of cutting they focus too much on the physical and not enough on the emotional aspect. I get what RaeNose is saying about cracking wen we have no one to talk to, but at the same time we are pushing people away by being too caught up in ourselves. When we believe ourselves alone (in our struggles), thats wen we make ourselves truly alone. :/ sorry...tangent.

[RaeNose]

I think I've met my emotional twin. Or Mental thought twin. Haha. :D

[Zephyr]

Just watched the video here (http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=seventeen+magazine&id=1250e6feabf42ffe3b07a5f4d0347922).

I'm actually appalled with some of the things they said...

"They're girls who are pretty and popular."
"They come from homes with stable marriages."
"They're doing well and heading to college."
"It's due to the need to be perfect."

I hate it when they try to stick everybody into a generalized description.
One size doesn't fit all.
They assume that it's all stemmed from not living up to the 'beauty standard',
But they couldn't be more wrong, it's an emotional thing with every single cutter that I've ever met.

One thing I did agree with though, is when the editor said,
"It is a cry for help, but at the same time it's a very private ritual."

The girl telling her story, I have to say, had a lot of courage to go through with standing up and speaking about it. It is very hard to talk about. I still tell people who ask about my scars that it was from a car wreck.

And like said before, it is a coping mechanism, not always a precursor for suicide. I cut for 3 years before my first suicide attempt. Cutting is not the healthiest coping mechanism, but one nonetheless. It's that endorfin rush from the pain that temporarily makes you feel better.

[ShatteredWings]

I'm going to add to what steph said about the lady's comments.

Bangles mean nothing. I know plenty of girls who are perfectly normal (or rather, i'm quite sure they don't cut) who like bracelets. Long sleeves in the summer isn't nessarly a key if the girl has really fair skin (sunburn...)

Popular is bullshit. I'm sure there are girls who are populear who cut, but as for that being the norm? Not really....

"I don't think there's a risk, really, of being suicidal..."
Please tell me that the woman does NOT have a psychatric degree. No, SI isn't a suicide attempt, but if anyone's in a state where they want to cut to *whatever you get from it*, then yeah i'd be more conserned about suicide than in someone who's relativly happy

I can't belive that 51% of people SI. Either the poll was misworded, or the audience that 17 is targetd for SI's more

Seemingly stable parents. Often times people try to pretend that their marage is OK when it's horriable and it would be better if the people divorsed.

[AutumnDae]

Just watched the video here (http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=seventeen+magazine&id=1250e6feabf42ffe3b07a5f4d0347922).

I'm actually appalled with some of the things they said...

"They're girls who are pretty and popular."
"They come from homes with stable marriages."
"They're doing well and heading to college."
"It's due to the need to be perfect."

I hate it when they try to stick everybody into a generalized description.
One size doesn't fit all.
They assume that it's all stemmed from not living up to the 'beauty standard',
But they couldn't be more wrong, it's an emotional thing with every single cutter that I've ever met.

One thing I did agree with though, is when the editor said,
"It is a cry for help, but at the same time it's a very private ritual."

The girl telling her story, I have to say, had a lot of courage to go through with standing up and speaking about it. It is very hard to talk about. I still tell people who ask about my scars that it was from a car wreck.

And like said before, it is a coping mechanism, not always a precursor for suicide. I cut for 3 years before my first suicide attempt. Cutting is not the healthiest coping mechanism, but one nonetheless. It's that endorfin rush from the pain that temporarily makes you feel better.

Seventeen is always trying to work things like this into magazines. Stuff that's hard to talk about. I think I've read about abortions...and now this, just stuff of this nature. That's fine that they want to make their readers aware. But next time you read the magazine, look at what it's sandwhiched between. Probably articles about whoever is on the cover...or something about clothes. It seems so misplaced.

I'm going to add to what steph said about the lady's comments.

Bangles mean nothing. I know plenty of girls who are perfectly normal (or rather, i'm quite sure they don't cut) who like bracelets. Long sleeves in the summer isn't nessarly a key if the girl has really fair skin (sunburn...)

Popular is bullshit. I'm sure there are girls who are populear who cut, but as for that being the norm? Not really....

"I don't think there's a risk, really, of being suicidal..."
Please tell me that the woman does NOT have a psychatric degree. No, SI isn't a suicide attempt, but if anyone's in a state where they want to cut to *whatever you get from it*, then yeah i'd be more conserned about suicide than in someone who's relativly happy

I can't belive that 51% of people SI. Either the poll was misworded, or the audience that 17 is targetd for SI's more

Seemingly stable parents. Often times people try to pretend that their marage is OK when it's horriable and it would be better if the people divorsed.

51%? I think that's crazy....and wrong. Maybe 51% of people who ANSWERED the poll.


I have to comment on the woman's comments. "Taught to hate their bodies" or something like that. They say how "everything is airbrushed" and how it's perfect....and how girls shouldn't think that the airbrushed photo is normal....and yet Seventeen is adding fuel to that fire by always putting airbrushed photos in their magazine...along with girls on the cover that SEEM perfect.

[YesterdaysNews]

51% of seventeen readers
but how many girls out there do not read seventeen on a regular basis? and how many of those girls answered truthfully?
statistics arent always concrete. I think the host would be shocked to find out the actual precentage of the world that do self harm, male and female, old and young. That, is something to be shocked about.

I hated the fact that the editor of seventeen tried to seem positive and say "pretty, popular girls" because the truth is, not all girls are popular and not all girls are seen as pretty. its the harsh truth. she cant say sugar-caoted things like that...

[SincEreLyYeLLiNgBaCk]

yeah... its kinda funny because the old cutting stereoptype was "emo" and now its like the medias trying to make a new, popular cutter. Such bullshit. Its almost like their trying to make cutting "cool" by producing this new popular girl image. Whatever, and also it almost seems like their trying to mesh eating disorders/body image problems into this too. Its so annoying! Dear Media, girls these days are faced with problems other than whether or not they're gonna fit into their favorite jeans. sorry ranting... I just hate how the media makes girls seem so simple :/ (and yes we are mental twins RaeNose)

[RaeNose]

It actually says "51% of readers who answered the online poll". And that's just saying if you've intentionally harmed. It could have been a one time thing or it could've been burns and other ways of SI.
I still think that there are books that would help one understand so much more. Like my favorite, "Cut". Gosh, I love that book. Also, for one who is a Christian and cuts (like myself... well, not anymore) a good book is "Scars that Wound: Scars that Heal".
I shouldn't be putting those titles in quotations, but I don't want to underline. lol.
I, by the way, had to accept the fact that no longer fit into juniors jeans. They're made for skinny girls who don't have hips or a butt. Oh well, I got over it, I have an adult figure now. ;)
But I am as far away from simple as there is. Girls are so not simple, just ask the guys. ;)

[overcome.]

First off, anything I may say isn't meant offensively, it's just due to my lack of knowledge in this area right now. But I wanted to post some things to try and support people. I know as somebody who has a huge problem themselves, it's pretty damn annoying when people offer stupid solutions, even though they're trying to help... They know nothing about your problem and how to cope or deal with it long or even short time. I won't be one of those people who pretend they know your pain, because I know what it feels like to be in a dark place, just not the same one that some people here are in where they resort to cutting. Everybody deals with things differently.

Without hijacking the thread (lol), I suffer from some pretty bad things, mainly generalised anxiety and agoraphobia. The reason I've never resorted to anything like self harm, even though I've felt very low and am going through a tough time right now like many other people, is because I think of my Dad, who died of Cancer which he suffered from for almost 2 years. He fought to keep his life, I don't have to fight in the respect to keep my life. Right now I'm not really living I'm existing, but I'm still blessed with life. I will use it, enjoy it, just everybody has their tough times. I have the mindset that there are people dieing with these illnesses that would give anything to be able to live, there's people who are dieing for their country, and other people dieing who would rather live. So don't take life for granted.

The norm? Who is normal these days? Everybody has problems on some sort of scale, some on a bigger scale than others. I mean, this isn't some pep talk to get somebody fired up to enjoy life, because there's some people who may not appreciate my post. I'm not being ignorant to your problems, I just don't know too much about them. It's nothing personal, I don't know how your mindset operates because it's different to mine.

Rather than cutting, try and focus your energy into something that's positive, that will do you some good. Anything like reading a good book, spending a couple of hours or the day/night with some good company like friends and family, do your best to keep busy... Perhaps exercise or play a sport if you enjoy that sort of thing, that's what I've been doing, because agoraphobia can be mentally crippling. But one of the things I'm trying to do while at home, other than eat properly again, is help people out on this forum by offering support. I'm trying to get back into the gym properly and weight train, get 'big' again haha.

Do your absolute best to focus your energy onto something positive that you enjoy, sometimes you never know what you're good at until you try it. Everybody has gifts, don't waste yours by cutting :) Life is a wonderful thing that's given to us, although everyone experiences hard times during life, there's always something much better round the corner. Thanks for reading.

[SincEreLyYeLLiNgBaCk]

first I wanna say I LOVE the book cut, I first read it wen i had just started cutting in 7th grade and i cried. (i only wish that inspired me to stop though, instead of letting myself fall hard and fast into its black hole)sooo... just wikipedia-d agoraphobia and I can understand where your coming from; shit like that puts everything in perspective. (I have epilepsy -seizures- and for a good part of my 8th grade/freshman year I was hindered by it) I wanna clear up quick that cutting isn't usually done with the intention of ending one's life, but I know what you mean about not wanting us to waste our lives doing it. Thanks for the good intentions, but not all of us spend our time doing nothing but cutting. I am someone who cuts, not a cutter (if that makes sense). Cutting isn't my life and I have hobbies and causes that help distract me and define me as more than just my scars. (for example working as an advocate for epilepsy awareness) so thanks for the pep talk, but we are people not statistics. (no hard feelings btw, i mean this with love not bitterness) :)

[RaeNose]

Don't you just love these kids? :D
Actually, Cut helped me when I really wanted to give up. I'd go through the really tough scenes and put all of my emotions into that particular scene that I was reading. Once the climax of the scene hit, I would imagine the release cutting gave me and it helped me deal with all of those traumatic emotions.
But I'm so sorry that you guys have to go through stuff like that. I don't have much when it comes to illnesses. I did watch my grandma suffer through cancer too, however. It really, really sucks. But pulling her hair out after her first few chemo treatments was interesting.