I've been cutting for over ten years now
Recently tho I've started burning myself but I've come to the conclusion because it doesnt scar. Just leaves a mark
That doesn't count as self harm
I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~ Girl Interrupted
When you dont want to feel, death seems like a dream. ~ Girl Interrupted
I think it depends how bad you do it. I have a scar from burning thats 10 years old. I have recent burns that are some of the worst harming i have ever done and i cant see how they wont scar.
Anyway, regardless of scars, harming is harming. Doesnt matter how you do it, you still have.
I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~ Girl Interrupted
When you dont want to feel, death seems like a dream. ~ Girl Interrupted
Burning is self injury. It doesn't matter how big or small the mark left is. SH usually escalates anyway.The motivations for doing it are the same. I don't like the view that because certain types of harming won't leave marks (or small ones) it isn't self injury. I think it perpetuates misconceptions people have about self harm.
I'm scared this is gonna escalate and I really don't want that to happen. After ten years I should have stopped this not found more ways of harming myself.
I don't know what to do
I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~ Girl Interrupted
When you dont want to feel, death seems like a dream. ~ Girl Interrupted
It's a scary feeling when SH escalates. I know that feeling. Does anyone close to you know about your self-harm? Friends? Teachers? Relatives? Are you getting any professional help? Keep the burns clean and watch for signs of infection.
I guess i do have professional help ( have posted in serious advice forum )
I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~ Girl Interrupted
When you dont want to feel, death seems like a dream. ~ Girl Interrupted
I used to say my cutting didn't count because I always cleaned the item I used, would clean the skin afterwards. So it didn't count because I cleaned the area, and the item before and afterwards. I know it sounds silly but in my head that's how it was.
Burning is self-harm even though it doesn't leave a scar and/or you're being safe about it, it still counts.
i've rarely cut and almost always SH from burning i can safely say that it does scar, i've given myself a number of second degree burns over the years. it is certainly a form of self harm. i supose it depends on how wide you want to use the term, as cutting, burning, risk taking behaviour, substance use, EDs, banging, bruising, biting, pushing self etc can all be classed as forms of self harm
I don't want to sound like I'm here to preach and all, but anything you do to deliberately hurt yourself is self harm. Your goal during the action is to purposely hurt yourself.
A lot of people think the less subtle it is, then the less it's actually self harm, but the purpose is not to scar yourself or mark yourself up, the purpose is to allow the body to feel pain to release endorphins. The scars are a byproduct, but they are never the goal. This is why even piercings and tattoos are a form of self harm even though it's a social norm/socially accepted and not considered as such, but I've met people that had tattoo addictions. The thing is usually that when you get a tattoo, it hurts, but because you're leaving ink as the "scar" nobody sees it as "you're tattooing yourself to feel the pain, you're doing it to express yourself". Ironically, things that are strictly labeled "self harm" are done to express oneself... to release what we can't say or see our pain in the physical instead of the emotional.
totally agree lone star. i wrote a assignment about self harm a while back and was amazed at what can be classed as it, and the range of general risk taking behavior that is also viewed as self harm
Burning is scaring me. It's never entered my head as something I would do. But I seem to be doing it most days. Along with cutting daily. I need to stop the burning before I take it too far. I guess it's too late for that as I think one maybe infected already.
I use piercings as another way of harming I have 28 and altho I do really like them the reason I get them is to hurt
I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~ Girl Interrupted
When you dont want to feel, death seems like a dream. ~ Girl Interrupted
If you think anything is infected, you have to go to the doctor. You can't just let it be infected because of the bacteria and all that can affect you negatively.
I know how the whole piercing thing is... Some look nice, but if the reasoning behind them isn't for looks then.... well you know where it goes.
Well.... what could you do to distract yourself from burning yourself? Is there any activity that can keep your mind busy?
I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~ Girl Interrupted
When you dont want to feel, death seems like a dream. ~ Girl Interrupted
My counsellor said because I won't talk. I do I'm very shy and she knows this. So I thought best to right something down tell her somethings I couldn't say and why it was I would find it difficult.
I have a burn I'm worried about. Should I ask my support worker tomorrow Wat I should do about it? Or tell him I'm concerned?
I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~ Girl Interrupted
When you dont want to feel, death seems like a dream. ~ Girl Interrupted
