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Sugar Smoke

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:41 pm


Before I even express my opinion, I just want to let people know that I'm not trying to be offensive or insensitive at all but a lot of people interpret it that way.

I've always thought it was stupid, the typical answer of it won't solve your problems so I'd NEVER do it but I've known people to do it. The thing is, I simply don't care that much, if they're going to do it, let them, the only one who can make them stop is themselves or they'll never trully stop doing it unless someone helps them which I've found to be temporary. It's the same with suicide with me, I've had someone in my family do it so I know what it's like. So I hate it when my attention-seeking friends say they're gonna do it because we both know that they won't and I just get tired of it and even ended up calling my friend out on it only to be told I just didn't understand.

I'm posting this here because the last time I brought it up in real life, I ended up being called a b***h. neutral So yeah, thoughts on it? Also, is my thinking justified?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:24 pm


I think your thoughts are justified, and it certainly was wrong for you to be called a b***h for having your own opinions...

On this same note,

I'm not sure if it is right or wrong. Being someone who has cut/used general self-harm, and then started smoking as a way of stopping cutting, then had to quit that....

From a secular point of view, it is not good, but the person's body belongs to themselves. I did it as a way to manage stress, as a way to feel like I had some level of control over my life, certainly no one ever knew. It was also a way of keeping myself from getting depressed to the point of carrying out the act of committing suicide. Because this is such a personal issue, I think the answer of if it is "okay" (whatever that means) or not depends on the individual.

From a Christian point of view, if you are a person who considers yourself a Christian, I'm gonna yell "ITS A SIN ITS A SIN ITS A SIN!!!" But, I will say that hun, our bodies serve as houses to the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, " Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." We shouldn't avoid cutting or harming ourselves because of some rule, we should do it out of love for Christ that he suffered and died for our sake, that he says to us "“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” We are given tasks to overcome in this life, and we are living in a fallen world where things get tough and hard to bear... but he promises us, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."


But let's say irregardless of a person's religion and irregardless of if they are seeking attention or not: they clearly have something wrong within themselves, and they need help. Maybe the help they need is not the help they want, and it certainly can be that way... But either way, we should help those in need.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:24 pm


I don't really care, my motto being: just don't b***h you me about how your life sucks because your parents found your box of razors.

I'm into self harm as a punishment sort of thing. I sprained my wrist while trying to snap my forearm under my leg because a teacher was bitching me out for something I didn't do, but was still my fault. I also used to hit myself repeatedly in the head with sports equipment because it would be better than hitting my lousy team mates. (super competitive)

People who walk around saying they're going to commit suicide make me want to punch babies. Less talk, more action. <<--- no, I don't feel bad for saying that. Some of us actually have to live with our problems and deal with the emotional stress of people who were serious and did it.


But yeah, you're justified in feeling this way. It's highly insulting both to people who have killed themselves and people who live with pain every day when attention whores go on a meaningless torrent of how bad they have it.
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:07 pm


This is just my personal experience. And I'll be upfront about that, the fact I swear a lot, and the fact this subject pisses me off. Okay. So.

Some people who hurt themselves y'know, actually might have a problem and are doing so as a way of trying to make people see it. Because let me tell you from experience, try telling someone when bad s**t is going on and you don't know how to deal with it or need help and watch 'em blow you off. Watch them not give a s**t. It's cool and hip to do that these days. When I felt like suicide was my only option years past it would have been very nice if someone had actually ******** listened to me and got me help to work out my problems. I'm still alive today because of my own will, but really. I deal with it every day of my life. Every day I continually question and indeed, see so frighteningly easily still how everyone in my life would be better off without me. I fight it. But it would be great to think I wouldn't have to fight it alone, that if I told someone I wouldn't been seen as an "attention whore", that someone would listen. But see, I didn't get that chance. And a lot of other people don't either. Some are strong enough to survive on their own eventually, like me. But a lot of people aren't. And they matter.

So I sort of don't have a blasie attitude towards it. Sure, some people just want attention and this is one of the ways they may go about it but how exactly do you know who does and who doesn't? And I'm not willing to take that risk.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:13 pm


It all comes down to personal choice. If someone wants to hurt themselves, they have every right to. It is their body, do with it what they will. If someone wants to kill themselves, they should be able to. If people really want to get help, then they'll get help. If people don't want help, we shouldn't force it upon them.

Really, it all boils down to people having the freedom to do what they want with their own body and their own mindset.
PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:37 pm


I personally believe it's just another form of cowardice. It shows a lack of mental stability to think "I hate myself so much it makes me feel good to hurt myself" If they hate themselves so much why don't they try to fix it?

I was born heavily dyslexic AND with A.D.D I was pulled out of 2nd grade to be homeschooled because they very bluntly told me and my mother I was intellectually retarded and couldn't learn past a 2nd grade level.

My mom, being the headstrong woman she is decided, 'Eh, I can't do much worse' and homeschooled me. She gave me a choice my first day being homeschooled, while I was severely depressed and thought myself as mentally retarded. The choice was that I could either not be able to read or write and have a dim future, or I could pick my head up and prove them all wrong.

Now, I'm in my junior year of Highschool, straight A student in AP to college level classes. I'm still homeschooled and am able to write over 30 page papers with ease. I know I've gone through phases where I wanted nothing to do with myself.

I was about to attempt suicide when I was 13 because I couldn't stand being in my own skin. I considered myself repulsive and a complete fool. But when I was sitting on my bathroom floor with the pills in my hand, it hit me. I realized just how selfish and idiotic even considering it was. It also made me think about the teens and kids that cut themselves to feel more 'alive'.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those 'your body is your sacred temple' people, I'm sixteen and already have a tattoo(Parents approved) I UNDERSTAND why someone would cut or abuse themselves, I was at that place in my life once where I was in such a bad place mentally that I wanted to hurt myself, I wanted to punish myself for being stupid or ugly.

But that's the immature way to deal with it. They just want to take the blame for something and take the punishment, they don't want to stand up and fix it, or brush it off and say I'll do better next time. I know it takes a LOT of patience and inner drive to make the stand to say I know I screwed up, but I'll do my best to make it better- not about someone else's stuff or your sibling's brand new toy, but yourself. It's difficult, especially because all humans have a bit of perfectionism in them due to their minds thinking about what SHOULD BE rather than what it has the potential to be.

Sorry about the rant there, I just felt it needed to be said. redface

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:32 pm


iAdoration
I personally believe it's just another form of cowardice. It shows a lack of mental stability to think "I hate myself so much it makes me feel good to hurt myself" If they hate themselves so much why don't they try to fix it?

I was born heavily dyslexic AND with A.D.D I was pulled out of 2nd grade to be homeschooled because they very bluntly told me and my mother I was intellectually retarded and couldn't learn past a 2nd grade level.

My mom, being the headstrong woman she is decided, 'Eh, I can't do much worse' and homeschooled me. She gave me a choice my first day being homeschooled, while I was severely depressed and thought myself as mentally retarded. The choice was that I could either not be able to read or write and have a dim future, or I could pick my head up and prove them all wrong.

Now, I'm in my junior year of Highschool, straight A student in AP to college level classes. I'm still homeschooled and am able to write over 30 page papers with ease. I know I've gone through phases where I wanted nothing to do with myself.

I was about to attempt suicide when I was 13 because I couldn't stand being in my own skin. I considered myself repulsive and a complete fool. But when I was sitting on my bathroom floor with the pills in my hand, it hit me. I realized just how selfish and idiotic even considering it was. It also made me think about the teens and kids that cut themselves to feel more 'alive'.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those 'your body is your sacred temple' people, I'm sixteen and already have a tattoo(Parents approved) I UNDERSTAND why someone would cut or abuse themselves, I was at that place in my life once where I was in such a bad place mentally that I wanted to hurt myself, I wanted to punish myself for being stupid or ugly.

But that's the immature way to deal with it. They just want to take the blame for something and take the punishment, they don't want to stand up and fix it, or brush it off and say I'll do better next time. I know it takes a LOT of patience and inner drive to make the stand to say I know I screwed up, but I'll do my best to make it better- not about someone else's stuff or your sibling's brand new toy, but yourself. It's difficult, especially because all humans have a bit of perfectionism in them due to their minds thinking about what SHOULD BE rather than what it has the potential to be.

Sorry about the rant there, I just felt it needed to be said. redface


I completely agree. However I also believe that it is for people to decide if they want to take the cowardly way out or not.
PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:00 pm


A bit of history:

-My father was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was eleven years old. He has been hospitalized seven times since then, and the last time he went in it was only because he broke down and told me that he had a rope ready in the shed and that if I didn't stop him he was going to hang himself.
-At one point I was a a self mutilator. I hated myself and really believed that the people I loved would be better off without me. No one knew a thing about it for about three years until the point that I found myself ready to overdose. I stopped and sought out help.


There are many reasons that people self mutilate; of course, but in the end I've found that it is often a way of confirming in oneself that you are a victim.. And in some cases, that may even be true. But from experience, it is possible to come out of all of that alive and happy to be breathing.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:17 pm


Your opinion is your opinion. As such, I have a right to disagree with it. Cutting is not "stupid." It's a serious problem. Yes, while there may be a small handful of posers and attention-seekers, the majority of cutters are not. There are countless reasons why people cut and the experience is different for each. For some, it is a stress-relief tactic. Once it's done, it's almost as if you feel better. For me, that's exactly what it was. There is a sort of high you can get from it...I won't write a two page essay here, but you get the gist. heart But yes your thinking is justified and you should not have been called a b***h for giving your opinion..
PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:07 pm


It's an impractical solution to mental instability. It's like someone turning to alcohol to make them happy: in the end it will NEVER address the root of the problem, and will lead to more negative things.

I think people should try to figure out why they want to cut, is it a mental disorder? Perhaps therapy can help, then. Is it loneliness? Join a support group. Because cutting/self-harm will never solve problems.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:28 pm


Sugar Smoke
I'm posting this here because the last time I brought it up in real life, I ended up being called a b***h. neutral So yeah, thoughts on it? Also, is my thinking justified?


b***h...
Lol, jk jk... just couldn't resist.

I don't really like the whole self-harming, and really don't see why people can really handle it... I wouldn't be able to, myself, say cut... I'd start and drop the sharp object as soon as I p***k my skin and quit right then. I hate how there's people out there cutting and such, because... well... it's just horrible in my opinnion. I don't hate people for doing it, I just... probably would feel a bit weirded out if say someone told me such... now if they did it in front of me, I'd go nuts and stop them. I know a bit about it, and why some people do it, but... I just can't get it... one thing I can't get is... how they get to acturally harming themself... it'd hurt!

My point is... I hate the act, not the people...

Oh, and your thoughts on it seem dead-on, Sugar... maybe not that it's "stupid", but I get that you're just saying you don't like it or whatever. xp
PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:27 pm


First off I would like to make it clear that I do not harm myself, or know anyone who does. The following is pearly my opinion.

I know this was posted a couple of months ago but there are many many reasons why someone would hurt themselves and the first reason that popped into my head was sadomasochism this word actually describes a minority of people that like to injure themselves it means that they are someone who enjoys to give pain and enjoys to receive pain as well. The second reason I thought of was stress, a majority of people under stress often do very stupid things and will do anything to get away from it even if it is temporary, like some people say one pain makes another pain seemingly vanish. it all just depends on how far they are willing to go. One final thing I thought on were attention seekers the "Oh woe is me" type of people who just think there life is horrible when it really isn't that bad all they are trying to do is get the attention of someone important to them. Those types of people may have tried a couple of things but became desperate and began hurting themselves. And again a very small minority of people actually go to that extreme for attention.

Those are just my thoughts on reasons why someone may want to hurt themselves.

Zaxtaj

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:19 pm


Honestly, the idea of self harm means too many things to too many people. To me, self harm simply means attacking oneself by any means after what the person considers to be an emotionally traumatic event that has created a strong feeling of sadness that can only be removed through anger. It's a response that takes a lot of will power to control, and a lot of people do it without thinking about it. It can be as simple as digging your nails into your palm hard enough to leave a mark that remains for ten, twenty minutes, pulling your own hair or even slapping yourself in the leg or arm. It can be as complicated as mentally berating yourself over and over again, using on object ( a blade of some kind, or possibly something else ) to cause physical pain, or causing lasting damage to ones body using various legal and illegal drugs ( ranging from alcohol and nicotine to cannabis, ecstacy and heoin ). Honestly, that's a response most people won't even notice at its simplist, and it's generally a stress relief. They often won't voice what's happened, and it should be taken as a cry for help, especially as many will be unable to make themselves feel better in any other way.

When someone decides to publically say " yes, I cut ", there is a huge possibility that they're just seeking attention. While there is still plenty of stigma against self harm, there are plenty of people who would do it anyway. Honestly, I know people who will self harm and tell me and others every time, how they did it, where and how big the mark it. Graphically. Those are the ones who cause more and more problems in the way the system controls the people who self harm and provides them with the help they need.

So, to sum up that pathetic rant I used, self harmers are honestly some of the most attention seeking people I've ever met, but they're also some of the most troubled and desperate. Just because they all self harm doesn't mean we can put them in one group.
PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:10 pm


I don't think it's right. But I'm not going to start a debate with a cutter. If they're sick enough to cut themselves, they're probably not going to be open to a point of view on their actions outside their own.

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:35 pm


Sugar Smoke
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To start off, your thoughts are justified, yes, but you could hear a thing or two more from me.
I believe that self-harm can be "appropriate" or inappropriate based on the actual situation. People who do it from depression [which is okay, but I still prefer they not], do it to know that they're still alive. That pain gives them the strike in the head knowledge that they're still living, and that makes it a little more reasonable for them to do it. While, on the other hand, posers [not at all okay], who do it for attention, shouldn't even be doing it at all, for they have no real intentions.
Now, regarding suicide and depression further, let me continue. As you'd said, help can be temporary, yes. But, did you know that, although unlikely, it can also become permanent??? I can say that from firsthand experience. I've had a man put a 18O degree spin on my life. Now, regarding posers and the legit stuff, my thoughts change from my previous argument. I don't believe that suicide is ever an option, and I especially strongly don't believe that it should be used for attention purposes only. If someone is depressed and wants to kill themselves, I will help them to the best of my ability. If it's a poser, I'd merely let them be and not bother; you can't give them the attention that they want. Now, otherwise, back to temporary or non-temporary help, I can say that, if you don't try to help people, they might as well be dead and gone by now. At least trying and succeeding once is better than letting them die off on their own, without guidance.
Turning the subject back to helping of others, now. From firsthand and secondhand experience of helping and being helped, it can put a major impact on you and the people that you help. Like I'd said previously, it is possible to put a person in a 18O degree turn and leave them there. While most help isn't forever, having it there is nice, definitely. Myself, I have a page set up on my profile meant specifically for helping other people. After knowing what everything is like, myself, I chose to help others, after being saved. It's just another one of those things that isn't required, but can range from being a tiny little fragment to a drastic life changing thing.

I do think you understand to an extent; your friend's judgement noted, but opinions are opinions. We all have different ones; these are mine, and yours are yours.


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