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My friend cuts herself sometimes, and she told me something I didn't understand. She said that sometimes she just wants to cut herself to watch herself bleed. Can someone tell me why she wants to? I asked, and she doesn't know why.

She has a bunch of mental issues. Hallucinations, paranoia, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Those aren't all she's dealing with, but those are the main ones.

She's on 4 different perscriptions.

Also, she's been through abuse as a kid (that she eventually told her parents about, and her psychiatrist, therapist, and just people that should know.) Her parent's are assholes,and don't believe her. They weren't around when she was young, because they were working a lot, and they would have certain people in the family watch her.

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I don't know why that is. That's something that a lot of people say. I think it's just a visual reward. She successfully cut herself deep enough to bleed, and she gets to watch it. I don't think there's anything too deep behind it
Ego sum Alucinatio
I don't know why that is. That's something that a lot of people say. I think it's just a visual reward. She successfully cut herself deep enough to bleed, and she gets to watch it. I don't think there's anything too deep behind it


She doesn't like cutting herself. It just makes her feel better, and shes addicted. She doesn't do it for the rush. I was thinking maybe is has something to do with maybe feeling suicidal? I don't know. I just want to hear what others think about this. I'm curious enough to ask a professional if I have to.

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Ego sum Alucinatio
I don't know why that is. That's something that a lot of people say. I think it's just a visual reward. She successfully cut herself deep enough to bleed, and she gets to watch it. I don't think there's anything too deep behind it


She doesn't like cutting herself. It just makes her feel better, and shes addicted. She doesn't do it for the rush. I was thinking maybe is has something to do with maybe feeling suicidal? I don't know. I just want to hear what others think about this. I'm curious enough to ask a professional if I have to.

So she does like cutting herself. Maybe she doesn't like the connotation, but she likes the way it makes her feel.

How deeply is she cutting herself? Judging by the way you speak of it, I'd say she doesn't do it too deeply. They're probably superficial cuts, aka "Cat scratches"
Ego sum Alucinatio
xXLoyalFreakXx
Ego sum Alucinatio
I don't know why that is. That's something that a lot of people say. I think it's just a visual reward. She successfully cut herself deep enough to bleed, and she gets to watch it. I don't think there's anything too deep behind it


She doesn't like cutting herself. It just makes her feel better, and shes addicted. She doesn't do it for the rush. I was thinking maybe is has something to do with maybe feeling suicidal? I don't know. I just want to hear what others think about this. I'm curious enough to ask a professional if I have to.

So she does like cutting herself. Maybe she doesn't like the connotation, but she likes the way it makes her feel.

How deeply is she cutting herself? Judging by the way you speak of it, I'd say she doesn't do it too deeply. They're probably superficial cuts, aka "Cat scratches"


She doesn't like that it's something she has to rely on to make her feel better.

I know she used to do them deep enough to make it bleed, and leave a scar, but now she's just doing it just for pain, and I guess "Cat scratches" as you put it. I know she really wants to find some other coping skill that does actually help her.

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She doesn't like that it's something she has to rely on to make her feel better.

I know she used to do them deep enough to make it bleed, and leave a scar, but now she's just doing it just for pain, and I guess "Cat scratches" as you put it. I know she really wants to find some other coping skill that does actually help her.

I don't think anyone does like that aspect.

Then it isn't so severe. Many people I've dealt with cut deep enough to need stitches every single time they cut. Of course, they didn't get stitches and they ended up with large, inch wide scars.

She could try snapping a rubber band on her wrist. She could try writing words like "Happy" "friendly" "love" until her fingers, arm, and hands ache. She could pace about and do math in her aloud--or even just count aloud. (I use this one when I'm panicking, or even when I feel I'm going to throw up, and it does the trick). She could try eating a small bit of chocolate, because that does make people feel happy. She would just risk developing an addiction to emotional eating. She could try exercising until her muscles hurt.
She isn't going to find the same release she gets from cutting any place else, and it seems that cutters struggle most with giving up that release. Unfortunately, she's just going to have to really want to find other means, and she's going to have to really want those "other means" to work, and she's probably going to relapse a few times before she finally kicks it. It's important for you to understand she probably isn't in danger of suicide.
Ego sum Alucinatio
xXLoyalFreakXx


She doesn't like that it's something she has to rely on to make her feel better.

I know she used to do them deep enough to make it bleed, and leave a scar, but now she's just doing it just for pain, and I guess "Cat scratches" as you put it. I know she really wants to find some other coping skill that does actually help her.

I don't think anyone does like that aspect.

Then it isn't so severe. Many people I've dealt with cut deep enough to need stitches every single time they cut. Of course, they didn't get stitches and they ended up with large, inch wide scars.

She could try snapping a rubber band on her wrist. She could try writing words like "Happy" "friendly" "love" until her fingers, arm, and hands ache. She could pace about and do math in her aloud--or even just count aloud. (I use this one when I'm panicking, or even when I feel I'm going to throw up, and it does the trick). She could try eating a small bit of chocolate, because that does make people feel happy. She would just risk developing an addiction to emotional eating. She could try exercising until her muscles hurt.
She isn't going to find the same release she gets from cutting any place else, and it seems that cutters struggle most with giving up that release. Unfortunately, she's just going to have to really want to find other means, and she's going to have to really want those "other means" to work, and she's probably going to relapse a few times before she finally kicks it. It's important for you to understand she probably isn't in danger of suicide.


Thank you.

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the prescriptions might be mixing badly

if she can get slowly adjust to getting one prescription that solves those four ones problems she could be better off because of it.
We Are Organisms
the prescriptions might be mixing badly

if she can get slowly adjust to getting one prescription that solves those four ones problems she could be better off because of it.


One type of medication alone can't fix her problems. She's already on an antipsychotic for about two years, then a mood stablalizer, something for anxiety, and sleep, then one for pain. The doctor she's been seeing has been really good on putting her on medication that has less chances of side effects, but then that doctor left kaiser -_-

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xXLoyalFreakXx
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the prescriptions might be mixing badly

if she can get slowly adjust to getting one prescription that solves those four ones problems she could be better off because of it.


One type of medication alone can't fix her problems. She's already on an antipsychotic for about two years, then a mood stablalizer, something for anxiety, and sleep, then one for pain. The doctor she's been seeing has been really good on putting her on medication that has less chances of side effects, but then that doctor left kaiser -_-
for example, sleeping properly can reduce anxiety, and proper diet and sleep can restore a balanced mood, unless theres triggers in her daily environment anyways. And with that many medications you would need to research exactly what they do and how they interact, to make sure its not bad. But meh maybe they went to school for years to know more than I do, in which case you still need to google s**t.
It's probably not related, but I'll shed on my own experience. I used to cut myself when I was 14-15 years old, you know the prime angst years someone goes through. At the time, my thought process was along the lines of "If I physically hurt myself, I'll ignore my emotional pain." Kind of like right after something traumatic happens, and when you're crying and don't see completely straight and bang your toe on the coffee table and for a few moments you focus on your toe, rather than the girlfriend that left you.

Then I came to learn, that after the initial pain, you're not left there in emotional agony, and a sore wrist or ankle (yes I went ankles too) and that didn't make life ANY better.

Then I learned that life is what it is and to enjoy it while I have it, even during horrible experiences.

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xXLoyalFreakXx
My friend cuts herself sometimes, and she told me something I didn't understand. She said that sometimes she just wants to cut herself to watch herself bleed. Can someone tell me why she wants to? I asked, and she doesn't know why.

She has a bunch of mental issues. Hallucinations, paranoia, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Those aren't all she's dealing with, but those are the main ones.

She's on 4 different perscriptions.

Also, she's been through abuse as a kid (that she eventually told her parents about, and her psychiatrist, therapist, and just people that should know.) Her parent's are assholes,and don't believe her. They weren't around when she was young, because they were working a lot, and they would have certain people in the family watch her.


So, this might not be true for everyone but from what I can tell having been a cutter myself it's basically: When you cut there's a bit of an adrenalin rush that alone makes you feel good, also when cutting you're "helping" yourself (weather it be to help calm you down from stress, or because you're punishing yourself and you feel that you deserve it, or whatever) AKA things that make you think (if only subconsciously) that cutting and everything involved is a good thing. So because of that things like the pain, or sight of your blood (not necessarily all instances, it might just be seeing blood only when you intentionally did it) are subconsciously associated with the good feelings of cutting.

There's also the idea that watching the blood come out of you it's like watching the bad feelings flow out of you and since you get adrenalin rush after cutting you're literally feeling better as you watch the blood come out.

TL;DR: Pavlov's Dogs, same thing only Blood & adrenaline instead of bell and food.
Rocker_icy_hot
xXLoyalFreakXx
My friend cuts herself sometimes, and she told me something I didn't understand. She said that sometimes she just wants to cut herself to watch herself bleed. Can someone tell me why she wants to? I asked, and she doesn't know why.

She has a bunch of mental issues. Hallucinations, paranoia, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Those aren't all she's dealing with, but those are the main ones.

She's on 4 different perscriptions.

Also, she's been through abuse as a kid (that she eventually told her parents about, and her psychiatrist, therapist, and just people that should know.) Her parent's are assholes,and don't believe her. They weren't around when she was young, because they were working a lot, and they would have certain people in the family watch her.


So, this might not be true for everyone but from what I can tell having been a cutter myself it's basically: When you cut there's a bit of an adrenalin rush that alone makes you feel good, also when cutting you're "helping" yourself (weather it be to help calm you down from stress, or because you're punishing yourself and you feel that you deserve it, or whatever) AKA things that make you think (if only subconsciously) that cutting and everything involved is a good thing. So because of that things like the pain, or sight of your blood (not necessarily all instances, it might just be seeing blood only when you intentionally did it) are subconsciously associated with the good feelings of cutting.

There's also the idea that watching the blood come out of you it's like watching the bad feelings flow out of you and since you get adrenalin rush after cutting you're literally feeling better as you watch the blood come out.

TL;DR: Pavlov's Dogs, same thing only Blood & adrenaline instead of bell and food.


That makes sense. I also read that seeing the blood can help by showing them they are alive, when they feel numb, or not real.
I don't think that would be related to depression, I mean it does in a way, but not directly..
I think this is another kind of mental illness. If she likes to watch herself bleed she might just be fascinated with blood and can't find other better ways to feed her mind.
Well, For starters, My experiance, which I can provide proof of, should it be required, spent years cutting, total of 46 scars on my arms alone and for me it was never about the pain. it was the release

The feel of the cold metal blade, the sight of the crimson, the slick feeling as it welled up, and slowly drizzled from your arm. It was Numbing, and enticing like for just a few moments, all the thoughts, the Noiuse in your head just stopped, there was just the blood, the warmth of it after the bite of the blade.



Now, 6 years after the fact, and with a Bach. In psych, and halfway through My Masters (Major in Child Psych, yet again Prove-able) I realize when you cut, Endorphines are Released Seritonin is produced as kind of a Mental Band-aid if you will.

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