i'm confused

[CagedBird]

I've been reading around these boards for a few months now and there are things i'm learning about myself that I never have before.

One of the things that has jumped out at me is that when I am really anxious or when I feel I will dissociate I bite my hand really hard or scratch it to leave a mark. Also if I have thoughts i consider 'bad' i will hit my head with my fist or bash my head into the wall. I have never in my entire life considered this to be SH but others appear to consider it to be that....

I don't know how to feel about all of this.....i have put this in MH sub-forum because I don't want to disrespect ppl who are hurting themselves in this respect because obviously it is not massively healthy even though i've never seen it as being SH before!! I mean I do it for my own reasons and they will be regarded as being pathetic or not by you all reading this.....but personally (and i will probably sound completely stupid for admitting this!), i've found it so strange reading around because i considered all of the above to be completely normal....i mean i've been doing this for yrs and yrs and i've only been SH'ing for a few yrs (e.g. + 7yrs) thank goodness! I stil consider SH to be a short term problem!

I started hurting myself as an adult so i'm finding it really quite ??? upsetting to hear about these things I consider to be 'normal' and part of life to be questioned as SH. To reiterate again, this post is not by any stretch of the imagination to disregard those ppl who scratch themselves etc but to admit my shock and total lack of understanding re: SH.

I SH and I didn't understand SH till I found this forum. I have put this into the MH forum for the reasons above and also because of the dissociate element. That has been a large part of my life, although I hate to admit it to it...

I'm feeling confused....i admit I SH but when I bite or bash my head against the wall that isn't SH right? it's more grounding...yeh? Or are they the same thing?? I hate myself enough, i don't want to hate myself more..

[88shelz]

SH is when you cause yourself harm. that included biting and head bashing

[Sigma]

I think SH is not a line you cross, it's a gradual continuum, a bit like 'mental health' - some behaviours that are everyday and most people do or will do under stress become a pattern of behaviour, or can be done in an extreme way. It's the pattern or the 'extremeness' that's the main problem, not necessarily each incident. Or that's the way I see it, others may disagree :)