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Suicide and Self harm

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Yara; wtf...
Shotgun Sinner
Yara; wtf...
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Posts: 9205
July 24th, 2006 at 09:34pm
I decided to restart this thread because of the following reasons.

This is NOT a confession thread.
I don't want to see any posts about why you cut, how you cut or any other helpful hints to young minds out there that are curious.

This is not a pity thread.
If you cut and you need help, go tell your parents or counselor, get real help.



This is a thread where we discuss suicide and self harm.
What can be done to prevent it?
Who does it affect?
Why is it more common now than 10-20 years ago?
Are there enough support groups?
How can family members help?
Taylor Lautner
Always Born a Crime
Taylor Lautner
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Posts: 6639
July 25th, 2006 at 01:55am
i think its more common now cuz people are put under a lot of pressure by society now, and they cant open up to abuse and it is like a release. i think it affects young people the most
Kid__
Always Born a Crime
Kid__
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 6686
July 25th, 2006 at 01:29pm
Young people think it's a 'cool' thing to do coz they hear about it so much and there is more pressure on people nowadays- compared to about 20 years ago I mean- with the whole fast lifestyle most people lead. They want things done properly in a short space of time for very little costs so they feel the stress more. Young people are more pressurised into passing exams and taking part in activities which leads to people not knowing how to deal with their troubles and can end up turning their emotional pain into physical pain because it's easier to deal with. Physical hurts heal within a few weeks at most, whereas emotional ones can take years to completely heal. Some never heal completely.
I guess the one good thing about it being so popular is that more people will realise they aren't freaks and it's normal for people to feel depressed and therefore they may seek professional help.
chillpill
Always Born a Crime
chillpill
Age: -
Gender: Female
Posts: 5640
July 25th, 2006 at 01:33pm
There are no support groups that I know of in my town which is pretty sad because there are people that need it around here.
I don't understand why the hospital doesn't create a support group for cutters/those who used to cut or those who are severly depressed.
Thnks fr th vnm
Demolition Lover
Thnks fr th vnm
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 15766
July 25th, 2006 at 02:12pm
I don't know how it would be prevented. Unless it was talked about in schools, like how they talk about drugs, and sex. Although, that doesn't seem to always work either.
It affects everyone around you. Having your friends and familly seeing you like that. You might not notice it at first, like how it's affecting them, but it does.
It's more common now, because there's more pressure on younger people these days maybe?
I guess it depends on where you live, if there are enough support groups or not. It's likely that there would be one at your school though. I don't think there's many places that would ignore the problem, and not have a support group.
Family memebers have to be there for you. They'll support you in any way they can. They'd have to take you to get professional help, or to the meetings. They're your family. They'll be there for you through the worst things you'll ever experience. But in some cases, you might not have a family. I know it sounds horrible, but it happens. No one has the picture perfect family where they would care. That's when you have to reach out further. You'll have to ask your friends, neighbours, school councilers/teachers. Anyone.
madame angst
Salute You in Your Grave
madame angst
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 4551
July 25th, 2006 at 03:52pm
Hm. I read a story in a magazine about a girl who used to cut. She said that instead of cut, she will write or scribble or doodle in a journal. I think that cutting could possibly be replaced for something else. Like, instead of cutting you could try to do something else.
It may work for some people. It may not. Sometimes other things can't compare to cutting.
But I think it's still important to try and get help to stop.
If someone is cutting, I immediately think they are going through emotional problems.
Neutral
GODZILLA.
Salute You in Your Grave
GODZILLA.
Age: 30
Gender: Female
Posts: 2102
July 25th, 2006 at 04:16pm
its definately more common now.
10-20 years ago, some people didnt even know what cutting was. now its very open =/
assiralc talc
Really Not Okay
assiralc talc
Age: -
Gender: -
Posts: 684
July 25th, 2006 at 04:22pm
I don't know whether it's actually more common these days; maybe we just talk about it more now? Maybe people are more comfortable talking about self-harm now that there are more support groups around to help them.
mindfreak
Killjoy
mindfreak
Age: -
Gender: -
Posts: 43
July 25th, 2006 at 09:00pm
ok i dont agree with the whole i think its cool so im gonna cut, granted some people might say they cut but they really dont. cutting and suicide is more common today because there is more peer pressure on kids today. tv and the media have a certain image embedded in peoples minds that they have to be "perfect" of course noone is truly perfect but they still have the image of blonde hair, tiny waist, expensive clothes, poodle in the purse, pink shoes, everything ,matches. and teenagers hear this so much that they believe it. much of the time when you dont have the look that "society requires" of you then you are bulleyed. now im not saying that when you bully someone it always hurts them but most of the time it does. i was just watching a show today where the teenagers are bullyed so much that they either kill themselves, kill others, or both and thats a big issue. people need to stop bulleying and respect people for who they are. it is very common these days because teens often turn to someone but they often turn away when noone listens or doesnt belive them, this is why they cut, burn, hit themselves or even as an extreme and no other form of getting away they commit suicide. im not supporting suicide or self harm but simply saying why it happens so much.
Taylor Lautner
Always Born a Crime
Taylor Lautner
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Posts: 6639
July 26th, 2006 at 11:38am
.Melodramatic.:
Hm. I read a story in a magazine about a girl who used to cut. She said that instead of cut, she will write or scribble or doodle in a journal. I think that cutting could possibly be replaced for something else. Like, instead of cutting you could try to do something else.
It may work for some people. It may not. Sometimes other things can't compare to cutting.
But I think it's still important to try and get help to stop.
If someone is cutting, I immediately think they are going through emotional problems.
Neutral

i think you are talking about the article in seventeen. the girl was raped by her step-brother when she was 13, and shes 17 now. she his it from everyone for a long time, so she cut herself
possible247
Jazz Hands
possible247
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 263
July 26th, 2006 at 11:46am
there's so much shit going on in the world today people just need an escape.
Parents don't stay together
People are dieing in a war
image is important
school standards have gotten higher

people just can't deal with it anymore, i think there needs to be more open and free outlets where people can talk and let there problems out
Kid__
Always Born a Crime
Kid__
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 6686
July 26th, 2006 at 11:50am
People self-harm because they find it easier to deal with physical pain than emotional pain. If there were more trained coucillers or social workers in schools and hospitals who could help, people wouldn't resort to hurting themselves because they would be able to talk about their problems and sort them out.
Fire-Cracker_xx
Bleeding on the Floor
Fire-Cracker_xx
Age: -
Gender: Female
Posts: 1657
July 29th, 2006 at 04:13pm
Honestly I see people passing self harm around like a 'Trend', It's rediculous. 'Influence' is what causes it, from what I've seen its all from following a trend. On the other hand, some do it because 'inducing pain' to themself is what helps. ._.; It's sad and rediculous..Parents have no other choice but to make you see a therapist.
Baby Jesus is
Banned
Baby Jesus is
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 518
July 30th, 2006 at 12:50am
I dont see the point of cutting, a friend of mine does it and his excuse is that his life is full of problems and it helps relieve pain... I dont get it how does cutting relieve pain? It causes it, also many people who have perfect lives (my friend for example) do it, why? is it for attention?
The_Impossible_Girl
Killjoy
The_Impossible_Girl
Age: -
Gender: -
Posts: 4
July 30th, 2006 at 06:08am
suicide and self harm is more common these days because of the kind of things that we young people are into and hte sort of pressure we have to go through.
it affects everyone at certain times in there life i think. with some peopel it can strike between the ages of 12-18 while in others tehy wont have the slightest sucicidal tendency until the age of 45.
i mean 50 years ago drugs like "ice" and "crank" werent really all that prevelant and people didnt have the kind of pressures of you HAVE to go to uni you HAVE to get a real job so as to support yourself and your family at he age of 19. the drugs take you to a place where things seem blissfull and you want things to stay that way. and when you do return to reality it just doenst seem good enough and you never feel REALLY happy so you go under the decision to either take more drugs and eventually O.D or try and take your own life.
now drugs arent one of hte only pathss to killing yourself/self mutliation but hte environment that we live in gets mroe and more destructive every single day.
the war; stresses at home school nad work can all just pile up and up and for some it jsut doesnt seem like ANYONE really wants to listen and if they do listen the thought that they actalluy might give a crap scares them.
suicide and self mutalation is a sort of release from this daily pain of not feeling like your good enough or peopel judging you every minute of your life. self mutalation/suicide is a pain that they CAN CONTROL.
but there is help. (thank goodness) although family isnt really a major key in finding help in htis area as most parents think its a cry for attention; when really one just wants to crawl into a whole and die, borhters and sisters however seem to understand. and strangely enough teachers at school. in my area however i found htat htere wasnt alot of help and there still isnt really. i mean we hacve youth centres and they are erally excellent for helping out kids. they helped me out. (but im not going to turn this into a story abotu me) i ithink the best palce to find help is kids reach out centres and youth centres. they really try to undersntad what is goin on and htey want to help.
as for prevention; im not too sure you could prevent something like this. i mean everyone at some point in there life is going to consider suicide.
i think maybe hte main thing is that they dont feel alone. that they know that peopel DO care about them and they DO wnat them to be happy and full of life.
suicide isnt a game.
Fire-Cracker_xx
Bleeding on the Floor
Fire-Cracker_xx
Age: -
Gender: Female
Posts: 1657
July 30th, 2006 at 08:18pm
...It makes me depressed to see how 'Some' today...are passing suicide around like a Influence, like a trend. I think suicide...Is just pure selfishness...and a cry out for attention It just depresses me to see that.
Broken__
Salute You in Your Grave
Broken__
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 3724
July 30th, 2006 at 11:15pm
--Yara--:

What can be done to prevent it?
Who does it affect?
Why is it more common now than 10-20 years ago?
Are there enough support groups?
How can family members help?
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1. I dont know a lot of things that can be done to prevent it, so many people that do it dont like talking about it. There are the few that are open about it, "hey im a cutter" but mostly those people are fake, and that is so obnoxious...because it is a serious problem, and not one to be taken lightly.
2. It affects pretty much anyone, i know people who are in their late twenties who still do it every once in a while, and i know kids as young as 11 and 12 who do it, which is absolutely frightening that its getting to children as quickly as it is
3. I dont know of any support groups, though as a scratcher i dunno if id go to one if there was one
4. I dont know how family members can help, simply because its such a personal problem, it seems that people may just need to talk more, open up, it might solve a lot of problems.
I know that a lot of people find cutting and scratching and suicide a serious problem, and for the people who think cutting and scratching is stupid, but it isnt for attention most of the time. There are the few people that you will find that do do it for attention which is amazingly confusing for me. I know that I scratch because it relieves tension. Its displaced anger and its easier to convert it to physical pain that it is to deal with it emotionally. Id rather bear the physical pain than the emotional.....
assiralc talc
Really Not Okay
assiralc talc
Age: -
Gender: -
Posts: 684
July 31st, 2006 at 10:37am
Broken__:
1. I dont know a lot of things that can be done to prevent it, so many people that do it dont like talking about it. There are the few that are open about it, "hey im a cutter" but mostly those people are fake, and that is so obnoxious...because it is a serious problem, and not one to be taken lightly.


I think there's a conflicting social attitude and it gives mixed signals. They're encouraged to 'open up' if they want to 'get better' and yet when they are open about it, they're seen as fakes.
Kid__
Always Born a Crime
Kid__
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 6686
July 31st, 2006 at 11:22am
clarissa:
I think there's a conflicting social attitude and it gives mixed signals. They're encouraged to 'open up' if they want to 'get better' and yet when they are open about it, they're seen as fakes.
I see what you mean. It can be confusing. But then again, there are a lot of people who constantly and publically announce "I cut!" and are just doing/saying it for attention.
What you gotta do is sort out the attention-seekers from the emotionally unstable.

What you have to do is send those who self-harm to get the help they need and explain to the people who fake it that self-harm is a serious thing and people who do it need help. Reassure them that they are cared for and that they do have friends and family.
Do they frequently wear long sleeves, bracelets or wristbands in an attempt to cover up cuts and scars? If not, chances are it's because there are none.
Do they sometimes have cuts on their arms and legs and refuse to say how they got there, or mutter something about falling over? They probably self-harm.
Do they spend long periods of time alone and then freak out or become jumpy when someone enters the room? If so, it may be because they were cutting and don't want to be found out.
Is there patterns of blood in unusual places? For example on their lower sleeves or knees of trousers? If so, they might self-harm. Keep an eye on them.
Is the person having real trouble with something, depressed or suicidal? They're probably a cutter or former cutter if they are.
Is there any patterns in the times the cuts appear? If so it may be because of exams, family, etc - something that isn't always present, so they only hurt themselves when they don't think they can deal with the pressure.
Do they constantly tell you about the time they tried to cut their wrists/jump off the roof/down pills and then show you the scars, only for you not to be able to find any? They're lying and looking for a little love and attention.
And try to ask the person about it. If you think they are lying, trust your intuition and keep a close eye on them.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Crash Queen
Leonardo DiCaprio
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 32530
July 31st, 2006 at 12:32pm
Dyke_Overlord:
I dont see the point of cutting, a friend of mine does it and his excuse is that his life is full of problems and it helps relieve pain... I dont get it how does cutting relieve pain? I




For Cutters,physical pain is easier
to deal with than emotional pain.