My daughter cuts,a good therapist knows it is not something that you can just stop,it is also not something you should get in trouble for.Its a very complex behavior and must be treated by a therapist.

You won’t get in trouble for telling your therapist. You will get help. It’s very important that you talk about it because it’s harming yourself and you can work through everything that’s causing you to do it.

Tell your therapist. I was scared and nervous to tell my councilor. It may help you.

It is important that you talk about this with a therapist or a counselor. You won't be able to stop without help and you won't get into trouble.

I know how you feel about not wanting to tell people, but if you feel really bad and want to overcome it then it’s important to get help. However, I’ve never talked to a therapist so my way of getting through my self harming ways was to just slowly decrease the times I did it until I don’t anymore.. it’s okay to mess up sometimes as long as you keep trying.. you can get through this

I had a very dear friend here, about the age of my children, who cut. She explained it to me as best she could. I know that it is not a simple thing, and that after time passes it takes on a life of its own.

Please listen to people here. Therapists have heard it all. Unless you make them believe that your life is at immediate risk, they do not have to report you to any authority.

I learned from my friend that there are some coping methods that are not "obvious", but they can work. Not all will work for everybody, but you may be able to find some that work for you in therapy.

Gentle hugs

I've been a cutter off and on for 30+ years, I've also counseled Teens who cut for many years. Self harm in any form is not something that Couselors or Therapist punish. Cutting/Self harm is a Learned Behavior, its something you teach yourself to handle stress, fear, anxiety, anger, depression, sadness, all the bad things swirling around inside you. It's generally one of the first things pre-teens and teens turn to because its easy to learn how to hurt yourself and it's an easy distraction. None of that makes it a good thing.

A Therapist will help you learn safe, healthy coping skills and behaviors to replace the self harm behavior. That's the goal. It takes work, you've got to change the way your brain works, you've got to deny it the first thing it runs to when it's not happy, and teach it there are other ways to deal with the "unhappiness". That's what a Therapist or Counselor will help you learn to do. They'll also help you deal with any trauma or issues you have going on that cause depression or anxiety in your life. They'll help you find ways to make your OCD less overbearing. Nothing about Treatment for an Emotional Health Illness is about Punishment, its about making sure your safe, and helping you find ways to get better.

I hope that you decide to do the right thing and get the help you need, I know it's not easy, as with most hard things, the first step is the hardest, then it's one step at a time. I'm a 28 yr. BiPolar also with OCD and have managed to keep up my treatment for 28 years and although at times it was really difficult, it was always worth it.

Hang in there and take care.
Kat

I understand that people cut themselves to try and cope with emotional anguish. They don't want to die they just want to end their emotional despair. Please talk to a trusted friend or health care professional. You need someone to guide you in dealing with your negative emotions. 'DON'T GIVE UP' and don't let your negative emotions be the boss of you! You can't fight this on your own--Proverbs 3:5,6

I'm sorry to hear you are having these difficulties! RBD = sleep disorder, right? Have you heard of taking magnesium in the evening with dinner? It helps a lot w sleep disorders and anxiety which triggers ocd a lot of times. Also, Gensing helps get rid of those sticky negative thoughts and calm you. Both of these helped me a lot w sleep disorders! Also, you should never get in trouble w a therapist, they are who you go to for these kinds of difficulties. Also, have you tried counting thru the feeling that lead you to cutting? 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000.... it's like counting seconds and you can't be thinking of other things as much as you count. It helps me get out of a negative loop. Yes, see a therapist, and try the things above, you are strong and will overcome! You can get thru this and to the other side, where then you can help others overcome too. Blessings to you, prayers for healing.