cutting in front of people *pos trig*

[freelyXfighting]

does anyone on here cut or hurt them selfs in front of people?
if so can you expain to me why it's infront of people?

i understand self harm, i do that myself. but i know someone who has been cutting herself infront of myself and other people and i dont understand why.
i can understand why she hurts herself but i dont understand why she does it infront of people. i get angry at her for it and i dont want to be angry at her because at the end of the day she is still hurting herself.
i just think if i can understand why its infront of people then i might not feel angry at her.

to me my self harm is a very privet thing an i only ever do it on my own with no one else around so i find someone doing it infront of me very confusing and very triggering.

can anyone shead a light on this please?

i just want to add the this girl is an alacholic and only every does this when she is drunk.

[lauracathrine1x]

That sounds like massive cry for help rather than being a coping strategy to deal with pain. I think many people would never cut in front of anyone because our pain feels private and I personally tend to feel that I don't want anyone to see even just cuts or scars. Its unfair to do that when others might find it upsetting or triggering as you did. <3

[AllButWanted]

I have never cut In front of someone else either but as Laura said it might be a cry for help maybe.
Maybe you could ask her gently why she does it and tell her you understand.
Im kind of in the same situation because ive recently found out that my sister is cutting then sending the pictures of her cuts to other people.
Maybe try and explain to her that it is triggering for some people and can make people very upset. I dont think getting angry will help but maybe she needs someone to talk to
Hope your okay

[Mrs Sam]

I agree with speaking to her but make sure she is sober when you do.

[howtodisappearcompletely]

If she's drunk, she just might not realize what she's doing?

A long time ago I got really drunk and blacked out. Apparently I was upset and trying to self harm in front of my friends. I have no recollection of the event. I just woke up and my razors were gone and I asked my friend and he told me.

I think it's a lowered inhibition thing, a possible black out thing (depending on how heavily she is drinking), and I also agree that it's a cry for help. Because when that incident happened to me I was at my lowest point and desperate for someone to help me because I didn't think I could help myself.

[Taraxacum]

I admit, I have SH'd in front of somebody when drunk and when I was very, very unwell. But never sober/when I have capacity. I knew people who did though, and they admit now that they just wanted the attention/reaction x

[emmargh]

I have self harmed in front of my boyfriend a couple of times, but it's not a cry for help or anything. It's because he's said "I know I can't stop you from doing it but I'd rather you do it when you're with me so I know you're safe and I can get you medical help if you need it"
Kind of a weird situation but it makes him feel better. I feel weird about it though because like you said, it's generally a private thing.

[freelyXfighting]

thank you for your replies. I have tried talking to her about it when she is sober but she doesn't give a reason as such. I think it is a cry for help and i'm trying to understand but I just cant deal with it. I think its coz when you try to stop her talk her down (in a way of speaking) she doesn't listen and just carries on. I just have to walk away now and let the staff here deal with it. its just hard to see it an deal with it when it triggers myself.
ive had a friend that was cutting herself and she kept going deep an I ended up saying to her i'd rather she do it with me there so I could help her if she need it then her go off an do it an I don't know if she has gone too far but this is different. my friend that cut with me there really wanted help an would talk to me first an if it helped then she wouldn't cut but if she still needed to cut then she would. but with this other girl you cant do that. its like she doesn't want help, just a reaction.
like I say I think I just find it very hard to see an deal with an maybe that's my problem. it just feels like she has no respect for anyone else.

[Hiding Amaranth]

I've had a few passing thoughts of cutting/harming myself in front of someone (I've never actually gone through with it, though). In my own experience, it's because I'm thinking that if they actually see me do it, they might actually believe that I'm really depressed, and not doing it just for attention. I stop myself because I know it will only convince them further that I'm doing it for attention, but someone else might not see it that way.

The closest I've ever gotten is that when something upsets me to the point that I want to hurt myself, but I'm around other people or I have no "tools" to hurt myself with, I've gotten into the habit of digging my thumbnail into my arm. I make it look like I'm massaging my wrist or trying to work out some pretended stiffness, but the pain of the nail digging in gives enough of a release that it helps me through whatever upsetting moment I'm going through, or is an outlet for the emotions stemming from some depressing/angering/upsetting thought going through my head at that moment.

[FabulousMike]

I would never, ever do it in front of anyone, it's a rather private thing.

I agree with what others have said, it's more a cry for help.