h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm sort of surprised when you say that these people aren't sick. They sure aren't healthy.

Anna has some pretty serious issues if she's using one self-destructive behaviour to help her with another self-destructive behaviour. That's a person who needs some mental help. Moving from anorexia and self-injury to just anorexia might be part way back, but it's only a partial success.

We can accept a person, but I don't think anyone should accept this condition.

It is a terrible condition to suffer from but it is better than others. I used to cut myself. I don't anymore and am fairly shocked that I got to that stage of despair. However at the time it seemed logical as it stopped me from drinking myself to death like a few of my (also despairing) friends almost did. While my friends had permenant damage to their livers, kidneys, brain and stomach, increased chance of contracting cancer, terrible hangovers, public embarrassment, lack of money and trouble concentrating on their work, I walked away with only a few faded white lines on my left arm. Although I'm not proud of ever being so self-destructive, I think I made the right choice between two evils and I don't know why cutting is seen as such a taboo when dangerous drinking is just "normal."
Most of my friends know about this and don't have a problem. Some of them even relate likewise. It's definately not something to be proud of but it shouldn't be something to be ashamed of either.
I managed to stop just from self control, no councilling, no drugs, no support. I guess my self-esteem just rose after my social life sorted itself out. It's amazing how peoples self esteem can be so easily destroyed, but then also, so easily rebuilt.

You should be more open-minded.

People who self-injure are not sick or mentally ill or whatever you want to call it. As has been said in the Entry, self-injury is just coping mechanism. Some people just have different ways of coping than others. Some people will go and drink themselves stupid, and I don't see why that is any more acceptable than, say, scratching your arm. It's more self-destructive, anyway.

There are more people who self-injure than you would imagine. Just a lot of them (us) are ashamed and hide behind long sleeves and lies.

A lot of people who self-injure were driven to it by abuse of a physical, emotional or sexual nature, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The people who did this to them are the sick ones. The self-injurers are just trying to escape the bad memories.

There is also the problem of how self-injury becomes addictive. Self-injurers can find comfort in the sight of their own blood, or the sense of being able to control something, or the feeling of pain. The pain is relieving because it can take your mind off other things, or it can bring you back to reality. Of course, a lot of Si'ers don't feel the pain.

Anyway, I was saying about how it gets addictive. I've brought this topic up before and was shot down for it, so I'm not going to mention how seretonin and endorphins are produced when the body feels pain and these chemicals give one a sort of high.

I don't know why I'm trying to justify self-injury. I used to do it, but I've stopped now - or at least, I haven't done it for 23 days which, as any SI'er will tell you, is actually a fair achievement if you're addicted.

Please don't dismiss self-injurers as sick or unhealthy.

Sorry, two-bit, but I agree with Lisa. I think it's kinda condemning to preach otherwise, especially (and seemingly: apologies if I'm wrong) coming from a background that might not necessarily have an experience of SIing from whatever angle...

Who's Lisa?

Self-injury might be a coping mechanism might be a coping mechanism, but I have a hard time believing that it's a healthy one. Drinking yourself into a stupor to deal with a problem isn't healthy either.

I have no expierence with self injury. I don't really understand it. Is there anyone here who will stand up for the practice as being normal? Will anyone here recommend it to someone else?

I'm Lisa.

I will.

That is, I will stand up for SI. I would not recommend it because of the suffering that is caused when you're addicted and can't/don't want to/have been told not to do it

When I've done it, it's hurt me. Which was what I did it for.

When other people did it, it hurt me. Which wasn't pleasant.

A double-edged sword.

So this is a perfectly normal activity that causes suffering among those who are "addicted and can't/don't want to/have been told not to do it[.]"

Do you see why I see it as unhealthy?

Not really, no.

If you're hungry, but for some reason can't get food, you suffer. Does that mean eating is unhealthy?

No, it's normal, or no it's unhealthy?

Eating isn't an addiction.

It is for me. I can't not eat. :p

And how do you know? You can't say it's not an addiction unless you've tried not eating for a sufficiently long period of time. The longest I've ever managed was about 2 days, and from that I'm pretty sure it's an addiction...

SI is not healthy. True. But that doesn't mean that those who do it are "sick." You have to look at the alternatives. Sometimes (especially during addiction) it is the only way to avoid a far worse problem. I don't see why it should be any more a taboo than heavy drinking or chain smoking which can both be addictive coping mechanisms for stress or depression. I'm currently reading "Prozac Nation" at the moment and think that it may be a good source for those that don't suffer self-destructive depression to understand those that do. I used to be addicted. I haven't cut myself for about a month and a half. The last time I did I severely regretted it and felt quite ashamed because before that I had gone for eight months without even a scratch. I like to think that I never will again but you can never predict what life will throw at you. Currently I'm finding that life is a lot more fun and easy if I'm optimistic and have a lot more confidence (even if it's false.) Things do sort themselves out if you are prepared to expect them to.

Well said, that man.

drinking alcohol, drugs, smoking, starvation, and over-exercise are all also forms of self-injury

smoking being about a hundred times worse than starvation, cutting etc, because you're knowingly KILLING yourself, and physically harming those around you when you smoke. Much, much worse.

Interesting posting Mr Cypher. Do you have anything to say on the matter? Did you want to add your name to the conversation without saying anything potentially volatile, do you think that silence is the only possible reply to such a complicated subject or did your computer just cock up typing it? Curious?

Cool name by the way. Don't worry I won't reveal your true identity to Johnny Favourite.

Such a shame that he posted that, because it made me read all the way through this conversation again. Since I last posted here, I have stopped cutting completely.
This is mostly thanks to Njan. ( Thank you, honey.)

It just wasn't nice to look at what I was like when I was addicted. Those were the toughest 6 months of my life so far.

I still maintain that it SI doesn't make a person "sick" and I will stand up for it because I know that it does make you feel better and at times can be the only thing that will help.
But I do not recommend it to anyone and I am all for helping people stop.

Bob: