Why do people cut

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what does it even accomplish? a high feeling of sorts?

I find it sick and I would never do it. But, it is mainly a cry for help. I'm guessing that cutting is a way to release inner turmoil in one's life.

the need to externalize internal and unnameable pain, is of great importance to us all. However, the need for this is intensified for those of us who are suffering intense and overwhelming pain.

Also for people on the spectrum, there can be a need to have the face of pain visual on the outside, for the simple reason that we can be unable to show appropriate facial or emotional expression.

For those of us who are, or have been deeply depressed and want out, self-harming can be a way of inducing the natural opium effect, and in so doing release a natural pain relief, from a world whose language we have given up using anymore.

O, if you have not guessed, I was a self-harmer.

I now see the marks on my arms a midwifery type marks, that played their part in the process leading up to my Dx last summer.

I now look at my arms with deep affection.

beats me, I guess this is whaty people do these days. The ones that talk about it on hear want attention, that's obvious. I can't tell you why they actually do it, but can just assume it for some sort of attention.

I'm surprised they don't have some new disorder for the people that cut themselves. Sort of like Asperger's syndrome, seriously, what has being diagnosed with asperger's done for you personally? probably nothing. Didn't do anything positive for me, except posting on this site. I enjoy advertising for Alex, actually I don't, but you know.

These forum online are probably not the best thingss for people with aspergers. I have been diagnosed twice with AS. This forum, these folk seem to get too involved with the forum, instead of trying to learn how to live outside the internet forums.

I learned about some weirdo feud with this forum and some forum called zomg or something like that. Then peo[ple killing themselves and murdering people, while making clear threats, that were involved in this forum. Duh, clearly the way this forum is not helping many. Suicide and threats to murder people.

Alex and whoever is in charge should be ashamed. Then again Alex is making money off ya'll. good stuff

How exactly is it alex's fault?

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Last edited by Izaak on 26 Jan 2008, 9:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Depends on how I'm feeling:

If I'm overwhelmed (sensory), I slice/burn myself to "feel" as by the time I get to that stage I don't feel alive; I'm numb, physically and mentally.

Sometimes when I'm feeling completely inadequate when I run away from a crowd of people, I slice and burn to "prove" that I'm "tough" (this one here is irrational).

The former is directly related to autism; it's the same reason why people bang their heads, punch their heads, pick their nails till they bleed; it's a "stim".

The latter is me being stupid as being unable to stand in the presence of people doesn't make me "weak", nor does hurting myself to feel extreme amounts of pain make me "tough".

.... says the person who's already made 88 posts on this forum.
Why is it that whenever someone talks about cutting, your sort immediately pigeonholes them as "attention-seeking"? Wanting to talk about a problem is not "attention-seeking", it is reaching out to people who might be able to help. It is your sort who make the problem worse by making people afraid to speak about it.
I believe that some people in the medical health field have suggested a "Self Mutilation Disorder" that is distinct from other disorders.

Weirdo feud? That sounds like something a 10-year-old would say...
The forum is called zOMG Aspies, and yes, there have been disagreements. Many of the people there were once members here who were either banned or left of their own accord.


The suicide/murder stuff has nothing to do with the rivalry between the two sites, and it was not caused by either site. If it weren't for the fact that personal attacks are not allowed, I'd have a few things to call you for implying such a thing.
Actually, I do have one that I believe I can get away with: troll.


To answer the original question:
Yes, it can give me a high, but that's not the only reason.
It dampens unbearable emotional pain.
It gives a point of focus when my mind is feeling pulled into splinters by sensory overload.
It shocks me out of the numbness of depression.
It prevents me from going and hurting others.
Sometimes... on the one hand, I could kill myself, but on the other hand, I know I'll feel a lot better after hurting myself. Which would you choose?
I don't know why.

(All of the above, and none of the above...)

I was walking home from school one day in...89, and the friend of an aquaintance was walking along side. He pulled up his trenchcoat sleeve, produced a scalple and cut himself in the forearm inner muscle, really deep and slow, insanely slow.

I just stared at it dumbly like I did everything else. Looked away.

I figured he was testing the bounds of 'feel'. And I thought it was a stupid way to do it. I just looked away and tried to ignore it. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, he did in fact have the full blade of his scalple in his flesh. It didn't leave me how very sick I thought it was. Mentally-very sick. But I didn't think the "guy" was sick, or that he would turn out to be a murderer or animal sadist. I thought surgeon or mortician.

Wonder what he went on to be...

Uhm, actualy many don't do it for attention at all. If that was the case, they wouldn't go through the trouble of hiding the scars and wounds from cutting, for one. Most cutters are doing it for emotional and phsycological reasons that come from past trama of those two sorts. I can agree with it being considered a syndrom sort of thing, because it's a problem that isn't easy to quit or control.



To be honest, I don't see how Alex is to blame for the stupidity of trolls that visit wrong planet.

Sometimes people have trouble coping with strong negative emotions. Unlike most people, they can't brush these feelings off: they basically agonize these people for long periods of time. A lot of these people don't have an outlet to express themselves, or they just don't have the willpower to engage in an activity to relieve the mind. Basically when cutting, the body releases chemicals to suppress the physical pain, and this can distract from the emotional pain. That's why I think it can seem addicting.

Ehem. Anyway, I have used a razor blade a couple of times, but it isn't my style. Doing it again is likely if I'm overwhelmed emotionaly again. More likely, however, I'm going to go ahead with the usual punching and beating. I might wound up doing both, depending. Though, I admit I feel alot less physicaly when pushed that far. I do it for personal punishment to. I am thinking of quiting the punishment part.

In my case, it's like I have to let go of all this stress and such building up inside too quikly for me. I have been in a couple of overwhelming situations, and it sucks. Ontop of being confused, I had to deal with the rush of negative emotions.

Some cutters no doubt would cutt under a similar problem. The self-harm was... is like some unconcious copeing mechanism. All the negatives come into perspective, and that's just got to go away (so my mind thinks). For me it's like a quike fix for a long term problem.

Course, Who_AM_I and DejaQ put it better than me.

I don't cut, but I sometimes bang my head or scratch myself up badly, sometimes in a very calm and methodical way. I am very emotional and get overwhelmed by my emotions, and doing something physically injurious to myself often makes me feel calmer and I feel less inclined to do something more risky.

I guess people who cut try to make other people feel sorry about what they caused the cutter to do: to cut... But why do they cut not trying to commit a suidice? That`s somethin we anti-emos will never find out.

It gives you feeling when otherwise you have none. Those who've been in intense depression know what its like to be devoid of feeling.

I've never cut, and I'm too scar/pain aversive to ever think of trying, but I've been completley devoid of feeling. The most i've done is a small pinch. It feels "good" to feel that, because otherwise you aren't feeling anything at all. It lets you know you still exist, that you're still a person

Your thinking about it like the cutter is an healthy emotional state. They aren't. If you've ever been truly depressed you'll know that not a single action a truly depressed person does, including failed suicide attempts when others are near, have a single thing to do with trying to impact anyone's feelings other than suicidal person.

As for why they don't commit suicide, even the most depressed person tries to live before killing themselves. During my worst depression, I learned I can go 14 days straight without food. First I went three days, ate for a day, 5, ate for a day, 7, ate for a day, 12 ate for a day. And you know what, I had to force myself to eat on the days in between. If not for the fact I wanted to find a way to go to college, I wouldn't have eaten at all. I could have easily starved myself to death. And looking at pictures of that time, I'm surprised i didn't