Self-Injury Support Group

it is a constant battle I am 30 and have been cutting for years probably since early middle school. simlar to you I have over a hundred scars and does feel like there are alot of fake people out there. really alot people are just hurting I imagine and don't know how to let it out. the longest I've gone is a year but I get checked regularly for new marks and have been through various treatments. nothing works except not doing it. and it is impossible in my case to resist. sorry if this doesn't help. but sometimes writting or other alternitives can lesson the blow.

no it does help, i like to hear other people's answers on a addiction that never seems to go away.

I'm 17, and the longest I've ever gone without cutting is 3 and a half months. I've cut since I was 14, but it seems like it's been much much longer than that. There was about a 10 month period where I really honestly wanted to stop cutting, but then in September I was like "screw it."

Just gotta say, I HATE when people cut for attention. It pisses me off. It makes real self-injury seem... I don't know, artificial. That's not right. It just makes the people who are cutting because they really hurt seem like they're just stupid and doing it for attention.

Hi :) I'm 42 and have been cutting since about 20. Lot's of scars. but I'm really light skinned so I scar 'well' if there is such a thing.

I don't know if it it's possible to stop or not, I certainly haven't figured out how. On the other hand, I've never really tried before like I am now. I'm finally willing to (a) admit what I'm doing to helping professionals and (b) try medications to reduce anxiety so I can learn other ways.

For me the breaking point has finally come with my daughter turning 12. I just can't stand the idea of her going through her life cutting, and I'm terrified of her finding out that I do. She has had a much better childhood than I had, so maybe that's not going to happen, but I'm unwilling to risk it. I HAVE to stop, because I love her too much to put her at risk for this horrible addiction.

I guess since I never felt like I could do it for me, I'm finding the strength to face it for my daughter's sake. But that's just me, different people reach a 'bottom' in different ways and maybe some never do, just like with other kinds of addictions.

I have hope for all of us here that we can get our addiction under control and finally stop for good. Me personally, I have a total of 1 day SI free at the moment, but I'm still trying.

Im not cutting for very long yet, but I alreadh know how addictive it is. I dont have hundreds of cuts. Yet. It might never happen becuz im gonna get counselling, but I dont know if its gonna make me feel better.
I totally get your point of ppl who cut for attention of becuz their friends do. Its just stupid. I mean, in a way, cutting is always stupid, cuz its a very unhealthy way of coping for most of the ppl who do it. But for attention? That is sooo stupid. I dont understand how you can even do it for that reason.

Im 17 and have also been cutting since i was 12. Ive tried to stop many times but failed. And each time it gets worse and worse and i dont think the scars will ever go away. The longest ive gone without cutting was 6 months but then i had a relapse and couldnt stop after that. Now i havent cut in 3 weeks but every day the urges get worse and worse, almost unbearable. Im fearing that i will give in soon. I know how you feel, and im here if you need to talk. and people who cut for attention are stupid cuz thats a ridiculous reason to cut and puts a label on the other true cutters that we all just want attention, when thats not the case. it really irritates me.

Congratulations on staying cut free for 6 months! That is awesome! Same as CupOfTea696 I haven't been cutting for a long time but it has already become extremely addictive. I have used other forms of self-injury for a long time but they weren't as severe as cutting.
I totally agree with you on the cutting for attention. People already have all these false ideas about SI and think that people only do it for attention. So when these people do it for attention it just causes the rest of us to look like fakes and they turn it into a joke. People don't understand the reality of it or why people actually do it and it hurts.

I'm 22 and have cut since I was 13. Longest I've gone was six months as well. I've been trying to stop since I graduated high school. I think it's just about the dumbest thing to do aside from meth and herion. The chances of gashing a serious artery are real. The idea that who ever will one day love me unconditionally, will still have to see how much I didn't love my self at the time. It puts me in question, it makes me untrustworthy.

As for those who do it for attention... Don't judge. I started doing it for attention. I needed someone to notice that there was a serious issue going on underneith the scars. But it quickly went into a secret once I found the relief in it.

Do I believe it never ends, that it is impossible to quit? Absolutely not. If you think that, than it will be truth to you. I think it's just like any other addiction. We just don't have the base for a rehab or group meetings. I'm sure MANY people have conquored this, but as anything, once it's gone, it's gone, and they don't bother coming on here and helping us out. Not selfish. Just saving themselves from a trigger and more than likely - busy living their lives and don't even think about it.

Try not to even think about these 'fake cutters.' That's sticking your nose in other people's business, which gets you off track of your own. Try everything under the sun, EVERYTHING, before you give up. And I bet you anything, EVERYTHING cannot be tried in one life time. So, no excuses, buck up and keep chippin' away at your brain and fix your issues. Coming here is a good block to the walls you've got to build. By 23, I'm sure you know of/already have many other blocks. You cannot tear down everything when just one of them proves faulty. Keep it in there anyway, just keep building.

Good luck!

I'm 23, been doing it since I was 12. Right now I'm almost 2 years out but it's getting real hard for me not to do it. Longest time before this was a year, my goal is just to make it longer and longer in between. I figure if I can go longer each time, it's progress, and if I can do that then I can't be upset with myself when I relapse for a bit. I think it helps.

i'm 20 an have been cutting since i was 9 almost 10. the longest i have been is 6 months and i loved being "cut free" however something happened that triggered me into cutting again. since then the longest i have been without cutting is about 4 weeks but the past 3 weeks i have cut every night.