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

I'll be emailing you.
I have been cutting, hitting, burning myself for 5 years but it does help. I know it's not right though.
Hopefully speak soon.
Miss Sonietta H xxx

I didn't start cutting until about 3weeks ago... cutting only helps in that it's what seem to do when I'm angry for not being successful in suicide...
The punching myself and walls because I'm consumed with guoilt I've been doing for years...
I'm sure the cutting on subconcious level is something to do with my ex as she cuts herself upto 40 time a night...

If either you haven't seen it already there is an more comprehensive entry called Self Injury as I recall it has links aimed at helping to find alternatives to self harm with the ultimate goal of stopping...

Anyway drop by space and say hi... plenty of other things to chat about beside this...
Like A Clockwork Orange... I love the film but the book is better...

Hi there, Stealth Kam.

I know the feeling, I have tried to kill myself about 6 or 7 times now and just ended up in emergency wards.

I will look at that other post and check out those sites. I'd love to stop but I hate crying and when I cut myself, the crying stops.

My friends can see the change in me when I've done it, they think it's quite good that I can control my emotions by giving myself a little cut. I don't do it deep all the time.

And yes, I agree that the book is better but the film has so much visual coolness! And sexy Malcolm McDowell! hehe

Sonietta xxx

Just incase you didn't get a chance to look for the entry... A603901

http://www.palace.net/~llama/psych/fself.html
And that's a site aimed at find less destructive ways to help...
Hi Sonietta...
*Hugs* I empathise fully...
It's cool your friends don't make you feel guilty about it...

You get Kubricks Clockwork Orange... so few people seem to understand the films strengths...
Malcolm McDowell isn't my type... Kenneth Branagh and don't laugh Alan Rickman [circa his performance in Rasputin]... amonst others...

Anyway I hope you don't mind I added you to my friends list... come say Hi on my page... maybe I'm a but if you chat in nadsat it would be nice to know I wasn't the only one

I just sent you a message but I got confused about it!

I'll go read that post now...
xxx

I wouldn't worry about getting confused, I'm perminantly bemused and even scared by most things in life... everyone has that from time to time

I hope it's as unpatronising/good as I remember... or more accurately of some use to you

Hello there,

I self harmed, for a period of eight months last year, and then did stuff for the first time when on holiday over the summer. What helps me is acupuncture, it brought back a sense of peace that I'd forgotten could exist. And the effect lasts longer than that of the harm.

Hi...
Tis great that you feel self harm is behind you... Acupuncture isn't something I'd ever ever considered before, Tis very positive that you found something better... weldone.
"then did stuff for the first time when on holiday over the summer" Not sure what you mean by stuff...?

hi, I've been cutting for about two years now, on and off. not badly, but enough to worry people. i've had counciling for it but the woman didn't really listen or take much notice. she had this pre-conceived idea of why i did it, how i was feeling etc, and didn't really listen. has anybody else been stereotyped liked that?

anyway thanks for listening

luv Alex

I've been lucky I guess - with couceling at least - that the psychotherapist I saw as an in-patient a year ago listened and recently I started seeing Behavioral Therapist and she does listen... Though over the past several month there has been a deterioration in my ability to express myself clearly. The consultant I was put under when I went into hospital to protect me from myself though didn't listen at all, just gave me drugs and let me get on with it... I finally gave up on him and got my GP to find me someone that we felt I could work better with.

You're welcome to drop by my space and talk.

thanks. I have some great friends, one of which is a lot worse off in life than I am, and they all help me out and listen and talk with me, and help me realise how lucky I am. I haven't been formerly diagnosed with anythng, and not many people know about it, just the school nurse/councilor and some people I trust with it. the best reaction I got when I told someone was "well, its better than smoking".

anyway, thanks again

Alex

That's positive

hee happy hour. My parents know I go to counselling but they don't know it's because I self harm. When I duscussed it with my counsellor she said it's because I read too much an I am overloading my brain.

Huh?

It's stupid, but it's better talking to someone than doing it more often. The reaction i get if i tell anyone is either:

a) can I see?
or b) why do you do it?

Sound familiar?

To be honest I would prefer it if people would ask. Instead they just get embarassed and treat me like an alien!

It is like trying to ignore a pink elephant in the living room - people think if they don't talk about it then it doesn't exist. And lets face it - they don't want it to exist - not in their little world anyway. Which is fair enough I suppose, providing you can cope with the pink elephant in the way forever

I would be happy to explain (in a brief and non graphic way) that is is part of an illness that is being treated and I understand it may make them feel a bit awkward but they mustn't feel embarassed on my account. If they have any questions then I am happy to answer them.

Although most of the time people don't see them as I keep them hidden.

That sounds like a very healthy way of looking at it. Yes, either they want all the details or like you said they don't want to know.

Shit Phredde - wot do u want us to say - oh ryt cool? Its wrong n I understand y u do it but surely if you know its wrong then you can stop yourself - or is it like anorexia?

It is not so much wrong as a negative way to cope. There are healthier ways of dealing with depression or stress etc which many people use.

Many people cope by doing other things, some use SI.

Once it has been used to relieve the pressure that builds up in the head and it is very hard to stop it without help.

That is because it works. When you finally find something that helps then, while not so much addictive in the normal sense of the word, it is addictive because without it you feel like the brain will explode.

Unless of course another way to cope is found - which treatment will do. SI is a symptom of a problem and until the underlying problem is dealt with or managed then believing that you can cope without it is hard.

Asking someone to stop is like asking you to stop brushing your hair - it is part of life and dealing with it. But like I said, there are healthier ways to manage the feelings and professional help will teach those.

SI is like scratching an itch in the mind. If you weren't allowed to scratch an itch then it is so frustrating and all you can think about is that blooming itch. When you need to SI it feels the same.

But it is very possible.

I would never recommend anyone uses it to cope with stuff, but if someone does it already then they need to get help so that they can be shown a way to use other methods to get the same feelings of release from the pressure.

Sorry ninja, obviously I don't expect you to be all accepty about it. When i told you in fact yours was the best reaction. *hugs*

It is hard for people to understand at first.

http://www.selfharm.org.uk/ may be able to help