"Cutting is for Emos."

[kari-fae]

malevolus42

I wish my grass was emo so it would cut itself.

Personally, I don't understand emo and frankly don't want to. From what I see on the outside, it's just another fad teens flock to like goth, punk, jock, prep, etc. The flock of seagulls hair and guys wearing woman's jeans is just plain dumb.

seriously, why are you even in here? didn't you read the author's post about this thread? it's not about emo kids and wow you are so ignorant of everything around you to make a joke about grass. your opinions make me sick.

[iheartevil]

The few people that know me in real life who have found out that I cut are always shocked because I'm so far from the stereotype as you can get. People never expect it out of someone like me because I'm about as far from emo as you can really get. Self-harm is something that spans all types of people, and most of them aren't doing it for attention. I know for me that I will do anything I can think of to keep people from finding out because I'm that ashamed of it. And then of course that shame makes me feel worse about myself and makes me want to hurt myself even more.

I do have to say that I think that even if someone is cutting for attention, it shouldn't be taken lightly. The very fact that they would feel it necessary to do something so drastic just for attention shows that there are deeper issues that need to be addressed.

[Saireena]

cutting provides release from the emotional pain

[kami two]

iheartevil

The few people that know me in real life who have found out that I cut are always shocked because I'm so far from the stereotype as you can get. People never expect it out of someone like me because I'm about as far from emo as you can really get. Self-harm is something that spans all types of people, and most of them aren't doing it for attention. I know for me that I will do anything I can think of to keep people from finding out because I'm that ashamed of it. And then of course that shame makes me feel worse about myself and makes me want to hurt myself even more.

I do have to say that I think that even if someone is cutting for attention, it shouldn't be taken lightly. The very fact that they would feel it necessary to do something so drastic just for attention shows that there are deeper issues that need to be addressed.

yeah well there dont nessecarily have to be deeper issues.. the one's cutting for attention aren't any different from the ones with another reason.. there's no reason why it would be easier for them to stop. Some people just dont really care that much about their bodies..
but often there are other people who do care about their bodies that much.
It's very confuzing. I dont want to make them sad, but it's about my own body... but i seriously just want to cut myself. I'm not expecting any attention or reaction from anyone, i just like to look at it myself. I wish people just wouldnt care. but they do.
and they wish people just would stop cutting, but they wont.

[Icomewithsarcasm]

The "cutting is for emos" really makes me mad. For two years straight I've cut, until 5 months ago. And I wasn't emo.

Cutting is an unhealthy coping strategy. It helps because it sends endorphins to your brain, which calm you down. Any person with depression has a coping strategy, whether they are diagnosed or not. So, I don't understand why this coping strategy is only for one stereotype.

For anyone who needs help with cutting, try exercising. It has the same effect as cutting, but it is much healthier.

[kami two]

vcChika

The "cutting is for emos" really makes me mad. For two years straight I've cut, until 5 months ago. And I wasn't emo.

Cutting is an unhealthy coping strategy. It helps because it sends endorphins to your brain, which calm you down. Any person with depression has a coping strategy, whether they are diagnosed or not. So, I don't understand why this coping strategy is only for one stereotype.

For anyone who needs help with cutting, try exercising. It has the same effect as cutting, but it is much healthier.

yeahhh but you do need to take the discipline to exercize... and if youre real depressed it might be hard to do so if you dont like it. cause you really dont feel like it. you feel like alot less when you feel down.. exept for cutting yourself. but youre right. After i break stuff and kick stuff and use my strength to move stuff, i feel alot better.
There was this person my parents told me about she allways has a box of plates which she can throw and break when ever she feels like it. Its a strange habit but people will be happy about it that at least you dont hurt yourself anymore.
Ive tried alot, I've screamed i broke things i didnt want to break and i cut myself, and even tho i dont have any problems with it myself, there are people who do have problems with it. so for their sake youre gonna throw plates, instead of hurting yourself.

I just surprised myself with what i just said, its an amazing solution!
if it doesnt work for you, dont give up. theres allways way cool

[Rikki Rottenheart]

A box of plates... Hmm.. -goes to the store-

[And Shepherds We Shall Be]

vcChika

The "cutting is for emos" really makes me mad. For two years straight I've cut, until 5 months ago. And I wasn't emo.

Cutting is an unhealthy coping strategy. It helps because it sends endorphins to your brain, which calm you down. Any person with depression has a coping strategy, whether they are diagnosed or not. So, I don't understand why this coping strategy is only for one stereotype.

For anyone who needs help with cutting, try exercising. It has the same effect as cutting, but it is much healthier.

While exercise can be a healthy way to release endorphins and be a substitute for cutting, it must be done responsibly. It is easy to over-exercise, which can be just as unhealthy.

I'm glad to see that this post is getting some very intelligent people talking honestly and respectfully about a tough topic. In 3 years I'll be entering my field as a school counselor, and I worry about depression and cutting because of how common it is. However, I see a trend that the attitudes about cutting are shifting from being a "cool" or "emo" thing (depending on the person) and being recognized as a problem. This thread only supports my view on this trend and I hope that my job will be easier when I start.

[Sirosia]

Hmm... I've got a friend that, quite literally, brags about it when she cuts herself.

[calamito]

Not that anyone cares, but this is my opinion on the matter:

Many cutters I know do not do it because they want to relieve stress, or because they are depressed. They want attention. I have met one person in my life who has actually depressed and cut himself, but nobody knew he cut but me. It seems to me that cutting has become a trend. Some people do it for real reasons, while others want attention. Either way, cutting is unhealthy and people who cut need to be helped.

[calamito]

kari-fae

malevolus42

I wish my grass was emo so it would cut itself.

Personally, I don't understand emo and frankly don't want to. From what I see on the outside, it's just another fad teens flock to like goth, punk, jock, prep, etc. The flock of seagulls hair and guys wearing woman's jeans is just plain dumb.

seriously, why are you even in here? didn't you read the author's post about this thread? it's not about emo kids and wow you are so ignorant of everything around you to make a joke about grass. your opinions make me sick.

Hey, no matter his opinion, he has the right to share it. Although it is based mainly on stereotypes, it's not far from the truth. People follow trends. When people cut themselves, others assume they need help and then that person gets attention. People want attention.

Not every person who cuts just wants attention, but seriously, it's becoming a stupid trend, and it's making it hard to believe the people who really need help.

[Rikki Rottenheart]

As far as the trend goes: the bandwagon-ers account for only half of those who participate in self-harm. It appears that most cutters now do it for attention because those are the only ones who choose to surface. In actuality, I know quite a few people who have never done it to follow a stupid trend. But you would never guess that they would even think of doing something like cutting. It was quite shocking when I found out.

I don't know if any of that even made sense; I'm tired as hell and not thinking straight. What I'm trying to say is that, if the sun shines on only half of a forest, you can't simply count the trees in the light and forget about the ones hiding in the dark. They must be counted too.

[Divine_Nora-inu]

Personally, I have always wanted to smack people who said that "cutting was for emos". What people who make such narrow-minded comments fail to realize is actually two separate issues, although they also overlap slightly:

1.) they do not realize the depth of cutting as a psychological disorder. Cutting can serve many purposes to each person who suffers from it, though they may be hard for someone not going through the same thing to understand. Part of the ridiculous "emo" statement stems from people not realizing the difference between people who are cutting on a feature or disorder level, and people cutting on one of those two levels who have also progressed to a secondary gain situation. Which is actually rarely seen in cutters (and I'm not using the label in a mean or degrading manner, so please pardon me the usage) although it is also intrinsic to the disorder.
Also, the secondary gain sufferers sometimes seem to make up the majority of the disorder's population as they are the ones most likely to reveal the damage they cause.

2.) they do not realize that some people imitate and emulate this psychological disorder without actually falling into a category that could be diagnosed. These are the people often called "posers" by cutter and non-cutter alike. Although, to want to emulate a psychological disorder could very well be a symptom of mental illness or degredation in and of itself.

I guess I'm rambling now, so I'll cut it short. I've been on the cutting side of the coin, although thankfully it's been almost four and a half months since I have hurt myself. So I certainly understand where many of you are coming from.

~Divine

[lildawni]

I want to join the bandwagon of annoyance over "cutting is for emos"; and give a bit of an addendum to the "self harm for attention" topic.

I find the "elitist" attitude towards those who appear to cut for attention, even amongst others who self harm, to be very disturbing. First, the whole idea that someone who is willing to SELF HARM in order to get attention doesn't have any deeper issues? Uh. Sorry, but there's gotta be something else going on if the only way you can feel seen/heard/validated is through self harm -- and I think that this shows it to be just as legitimate a reason as any other. Secondly, we are basing the judgement that they are self harming for attention on assumptions and our own interpretations of their actions -- unless they actually TELL us that's why they're doing it, we don't know.

For the record, I'm a 26 year old woman who is semi-open about self harm, but do NOT like or want attention for it. My reasons for self harm are varied, but I hardly think I fit the profile for an "emo" kid -- aside from my age, and the fact that I was approximately 6 years old when I first began to self harm, I'm a clown, a joker, and I'm rarely seen without a smile.

However, I believe that the only way to get the issue out in the open, to get it looked at as a real and true problem, is through honesty and providing living proof that those who self harm are not necessarily all that different from anyone else. I'm not one to walk around with open wounds showing just for the sake of it -- but if it's hot, I might wear short sleeves or, shock horror, my bathers.

[lildawni]

Divine_Nora-inu

Personally, I have always wanted to smack people who said that "cutting was for emos". What people who make such narrow-minded comments fail to realize is actually two separate issues, although they also overlap slightly:

1.) they do not realize the depth of cutting as a psychological disorder. Cutting can serve many purposes to each person who suffers from it, though they may be hard for someone not going through the same thing to understand. Part of the ridiculous "emo" statement stems from people not realizing the difference between people who are cutting on a feature or disorder level, and people cutting on one of those two levels who have also progressed to a secondary gain situation. Which is actually rarely seen in cutters (and I'm not using the label in a mean or degrading manner, so please pardon me the usage) although it is also intrinsic to the disorder.
Also, the secondary gain sufferers sometimes seem to make up the majority of the disorder's population as they are the ones most likely to reveal the damage they cause.

2.) they do not realize that some people imitate and emulate this psychological disorder without actually falling into a category that could be diagnosed. These are the people often called "posers" by cutter and non-cutter alike. Although, to want to emulate a psychological disorder could very well be a symptom of mental illness or degredation in and of itself.

I guess I'm rambling now, so I'll cut it short. I've been on the cutting side of the coin, although thankfully it's been almost four and a half months since I have hurt myself. So I certainly understand where many of you are coming from.

~Divine

I'm very confused over what you're saying, Divine, sorry. As far as I know, although self harm can be a symptom of a psychological disorder, it is not itself a disorder.