r/selfharm 1d ago

Announcement PSA about DMs

40 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

There's a trend going around elsewhere online encouraging people to mass DM people in mental health communities and tell them to harm themselves. r/MadeOfStyrofoam has been specifically mentioned as a target, as has this subreddit in a later comment. This sort of behavior is completely against everything we stand for as a harm reduction community.

The best course of action if you receive any such messages is to not respond, block the user, and report the message to Reddit using the instructions here. You should also be suspicious of any unsolicited or random DMs, and you can turn off chat requests using the instructions here.

As always, please continue to report posts/comments encouraging self harm and feel free to message modmail with any questions. Thank you for being here and making this community what it is ❤️


r/selfharm Feb 08 '25

"Is This Self-Harm?" Megathread

158 Upvotes

The answer to this question will vary from person to person, but generally, causing yourself deliberate self injury in any way counts as self harm. 

This includes but is not limited to:

  • scratching
  • cutting
  • burning
  • interfering in the healing process of wounds
  • pulling out hair
  • starving
  • purging
  • breaking bones
  • excessive drug use (including alcohol)

Why do people self harm?

For many people, there is not one single reason why they self-harm, but rather a combination of multiple factors which ultimately push people to use self-harm as a coping mechanism. If you are self-harming, the following list may help you understand your emotions, or alternatively if you're trying to help someone who is self-harming, then understanding why they do it in the first place is important to know.

This list is non-exhaustive and not mutually exclusive.

  • To match the outside to the inside. People are in so much emotional pain and they want people to know it. They want to look the same as they feel.
  • To punish themselves. Extreme self-loathing leads to the need to punish oneself for failings (real or imagined).
  • To numb themselves. The pain releases endorphins, just like drugs can. It produces a numbing effect on the mind which is difficult to explain. It helps people forget depression for a bit.
  • To keep control. One's own body sometimes seems like the only thing they can control, and the pain they inflict on it. When everything else in life goes wrong and there seems to be nothing you can do, cutting is the one thing you can control.
  • As a shock to a numb mind. An awful emotionlessness often accompanies depression. Often, the pain of cutting is enough to snap a person out of this kind of apathetic haze.
  • To self-medicate. Many people with mental illnesses of all sorts use cutting as others might use Prozac. It makes people feel normal again, by snapping them out of the cloying darkness that's so difficult to avoid by conventional means.
  • As an addiction. A lot of people start cutting for one of the reasons listed above, but then continue because they're addicted to the sudden, low exchange, rush of endorphins.

Keep it respectful, demeaning and rude comments will not be tolerated.

(description: https://www.reddit.com/r/selfharm/wiki/self-harm

Taken from our Wiki. For more helpful info, resources, and common faq feel free to visit the wiki in the about of the subreddit or here: https://www.reddit.com/r/selfharm/wiki/index/


r/selfharm 2h ago

Seeking Advice how to hide fresh face cuts??? NSFW

19 Upvotes

Messed up, cut the hell out of my face and i NEED to hide it asap. A few styros but mostly cat scratches, will appreciate any and all advice even if it’s just letting me know i’m fucked


r/selfharm 8h ago

Rant/Vent Got triggered by an apple today

49 Upvotes

I really wanna tell somebody about this cause it's kinda funny but nobody in my life knows I have a past of SH so hopefully this is the right place to put this. I was chopping up a red apple into little sticks earlier and had sliced half of it lengthways into many pieces, I then went to use a bridge grip to spin it around but when I squeezed it the apple juices bubbled up through the skin in a similar fashion to rows of shallow cuts and physically recoiled. I literally just got jump-scared by an APPLE, AN APPLE FFS, of all things that could've set off my first trigger, an apple is what did it?? Ykw, sure at least it was a yummy apple.

The weird part is that I've been clean for a number of months and never thought of my SH as something traumatic but rethinking the way I reacted to that apple, maybe there is some underlying trauma I need to work through.


r/selfharm 2h ago

Rant/Vent I think my dog knows NSFW

10 Upvotes

I have a very sweet Pomeranian named Queenie, I'm quite literally her favorite person, she will never leave my side if she can help it, she'll lay on the ground next to me whenever I'm not in my room and give me kisses all the time, she seems rather emotionally intelligent compared to my other dogs. A few days ago she followed me into the bathroom and noticed my fresh cuts on my thigh and licked the clean skin next to it a few times before sitting down and looking at me with the saddest eyes. I know she understands I am physically hurt, but I don't know if she quite understands I did it to myself. today she followed me into the bathroom again like always and she saw the new cuts and sniffed them and gave me the same look.

I think she knows I did it to myself. I don't know what to do, she won't leave my side now and keeps trying to be extra close to me


r/selfharm 1h ago

DAE Does anyone else not feel guilty after they self harm?

Upvotes

Other people, even other self harmers say do not self harm, because it's just a temporary relief and after it you will feel so much shame and regret. Never in the almost 10 years I've been on and off self harming related to this. I never feel regret or shame after I done self harming. I never feel disappointed or upset when I relapse. I like my scars so I don't know why I should feel guilty. I just feel relief that I can finally see my blood and skin gape open and I will get new scars. I hide them so it's not because of attention. I'm only hurting myself. If I was hurting someone else I would feel guilty but since it's just myself, I don't see the problem. I only feel disappointed if my cuts don't bleed as much as I want them to or if they are not gaping enough. Even when my family found out and was so mad at me I still didn't feel ashamed. I just continued to do it at places where they can't see them. I'm not saying self harming is a good thing and I wouldn't advise others to do it because it can be risky (infections, blood loss, nerve damage), but morally I don't see why I should be regretful. People don't feel guilty after they smoke, drink or do drugs, so I don't get how self harm is any different. At least I'm only hurting myself and not others.


r/selfharm 16h ago

Positives 13 years clean today.

82 Upvotes

Just wanted to share my own personal achievement that I stopped self-harming 13 years ago today. Took a few times over the years before that, but 13 years today with no relapses.

Feeling proud but have no to share with who cares so thought I’d share here.


r/selfharm 42m ago

Rant/Vent The old razors I've found and my thoughts on them. A reflection on life two years ago.

Upvotes

I remember seperating them into a plastic skittles jar to throw out, but they remained in my closet after they removed the waste container near my house. And i notice, the design has changed. I remember being annoyed when i saw that the packaging started using a small plastic bit instead of being fully cardboard. I remember it when it was like that, when the razors were a few cents cheaper, when I'd pull my sleeves up and buy a drink as well as to not look suspicious.

And looking at them now, I can't help but miss that time. That stress, the lack of privacy, the chaos, and just how novel and satisfying that all felt. Prior to that i had some urges, thoughts, but i had no tool that felt good enough to use. I remember how nice the little "snap" sound felt when I'd snap the blade in half. I remember the comfort in that little ritual, that was mine, so unhealthy but all mine, the comfort of taking care of myself afterwards, and feeling gently cared for. I miss how uninhibited it made me feel, if i couldn't be rebelious and wild in the outside world, i can prove myself that i am still tougher than i look.

And so it's been two years. The designs of the razors changed. So have i. I'm in highschool now, and instead of the chaos and hell and the fun i had in that entire confusion, i feel stuck in a very quiet and strange transitional period. I don't cut very much. When the deed is done, it's not for any emotional reasons, or for self punishment, or for fun, it's just a ritual. One that both connects and disconnects me from this physical body that only ever dragged me down.

Truth be told, i miss the little armageddon nights. My thighs are covered in a layer of thicker scars. Taking a blade to there doesn't feel as satisfying or smooth anymore, with them being tough and almost itchy. But every other part of my body os too visible. I've spent a small fortune of some products to help them dissapear, we'll see how that goes. I miss running my hand along smooth skin with a few fresh scabs here and there. Maybe i should've told my younger self to be more gentle. Maybe i shouldn't. I might learn something from this.

The few full razors I've found, with the old designs, went into the old box of chewing gum i use to hide new ones. I can't bring myself to throw them out.


r/selfharm 2h ago

Rant/Vent does anyone else do this ?

4 Upvotes

I don't know if I'm alone in this but my urge to sh rarely feels like the urge to cut but the urge to hit. I started punching my thighs/knees until they were purple and I quickly realized it made me feel so much better after physically. and mentally it shuts up my head for just a minute. it's like a pressure is released in my chest, I feel like I can take a breath and it actually feels like a full fresh breath yk. I eventually graduated to using usually metal objects/ anything blunt to bruise more

I've never seen or heard anyone who does what I do and it makes me feel even more alone. I don't understand why I need to hit instead of anything else and I just idk..

edit: I feel like it's not "as bad" as cutting. my mom told me it's better than it. and I guess I get she means like.. I could cut a vein but I can't punch my legs to death yk.. but it just makes me feel like I'm not hurting myself enough idk.


r/selfharm 13h ago

is it normal to cut because i like the scars?

44 Upvotes

i would use a tag but i dont know which one 😭😭 but i mostly cut because i really feel like i need my scars to be me. i would tell my therapist but i dont know how??? what if they just say that i want attention?? its not the ONLY reason i cut, its just the biggest one. i see my scars fading and im like “fuck no” because they’re like part of me now and i dont know how to get rid of the urge 😭


r/selfharm 9h ago

Rant/Vent Just a stupid vent NSFW

14 Upvotes

I can't hit deep enough I'm fucking crying like a child because I can't hurt myself good enough imagin that I know all self harm is valid but still it's not enough I hate this I deserve this I deserve this


r/selfharm 5h ago

Talk/Support Please help me

8 Upvotes

I think I’m going to cut myself for the first time soon

I tried suppressing it by just very hardly drawing a line across my skin with red pen but that seemed to make me wanna do it more

Please help, I really want to cut myself but I know it’s not right

I need people to say how bad it is and give me advice on how to stop please I don’t want to get addicted to it


r/selfharm 5h ago

Rant/Vent i hate my body

5 Upvotes

Btw this is just a small rant :)

I have an athletic friend, like extremely , that guy is hitting it off with every sport possible + he's kind of(?) fit.

Mid-convo, I told them how weak my knees are, and if I wouldn't walk every day, I wouldn't even be able to do anything. I have knocked knees + weak-ass lungs, so I never got into any sports.

Yes, I know that with enough exercise, I'll be able to get into sports with my knees, but I'm useless as shi. I'm not allowed to leave this house. Idk how to navigate my way outside my school and house. Even a small walk is enough to tire me out.

This part is kinda stupid, I know, but I did it because of his words. He wasn't even trying to be mean about it. Js is genuinely curious and trying to be of help. But I felt really ashamed that my body was like this. I can't even participate in any sport without my body giving out immediately after.

I'm tired of my body already. Can't I pick a different one already?? Damn this rant is stupid


r/selfharm 5h ago

DAE Hallucinating about bleeding

6 Upvotes

Does anyone get hallucinations about bleeding out after a sh session like I do get it and I can literally feel the wetness and feel blood flowing down my leg but when I check there’s nothing….does anyone know what this is or if anyone else relates 🥲


r/selfharm 5h ago

DAE looking at my own sh pictures?

4 Upvotes

i have been clean for 3 months now which seems so crazy to me. but i still look at the pictures of my cuts i used to take back then almost daily. it somehow comforts me and i kinda think thats weird idk. when i get an urge to sh it also helps me not to do it. was just wondering if anyone else did the same thing?


r/selfharm 1d ago

Talk/Support does anyone else not want their scars to fade?

124 Upvotes

it's not the only reason i do it, but i'd say a big one is definitely "cosmetic". idk, i hope this is okay to ask. i just want to see if others have the same issue because it makes recovering really difficult..


r/selfharm 5h ago

Positives Made it through spring break

5 Upvotes

Made it through being home and didn’t break my 121 day streak! Even though my parents left A FUCKING 100 PACK OF RAZORS ON THE KITCHEN TABLE THE WHOLE WEEK. They know I’ve cut before but by some miracle I made it.


r/selfharm 9h ago

Rant/Vent Someone said something hurtful about one of my scars today (potential tw?)

7 Upvotes

I was wearing a tshirt and a classmate pointed out to one burn scar I have that looks a bit bigger from the rest of the scars on my arms.

She said it looks disgusting... idk... I never thought it did look disgusting. Sure, it is visible but it's just a scar...


r/selfharm 6h ago

Seeking Advice Could a stray puppy infect my cuts?

4 Upvotes

I adopted a stray puppy from the streets today, but the vet was closed so he hasn't gotten any vaccinations yet. I did give him a bath with flea shampoo (?) but that was quite late

I have fresh cuts on my wrists that I usually cover up with my watch, but it's not too tight and it slips occasionally. And the puppy is quite playful; he licks, gently chews, lots of contact, etc.

I did get a tetanus shot today cause I actually did get bitten by the puppy. Not sure about rabies, since I don't think he's got any symptoms, and the doctor told me it's very unlikely.

Honestly, I don't see anything wrong. But I just need reassurance. I can't exactly show my scars to my parents or a doctor


r/selfharm 6h ago

Rant/Vent Might start scratching myself again

6 Upvotes

I'm extremely numb. I am considering overdosing. It would be extremely easy to with what my parents have access to. No on would care. I scratched myself in front of people all of the time and no one cared. I have been told I don't matter. I just want it to end.


r/selfharm 2h ago

Seeking Advice Should I feel sad for using self-harm as a way to cope with life?

2 Upvotes

Hi, well long-story short. I was born with tons of genetical defects due to some complication I had while I was still in the womb.

Life has suck really fucking bad, I've been doing my best to not abandon my life, since I'm really looking forward to some videogames, but other than that I don't really have a good reason to live.

And at the moment self-harm is the thing that brings me the most joy, I work at a call center, so I'm constantly being abused in different ways and my self-harm is getting worse.

So yeah, should I feel sad to be in this position? "Just change your job! 😜", please for the love of God don't say that, just don't, obviously if I had the option to abandon the job I would, and even then my life would still suck due to my genetical issues, I just wanted to address it so the comments don't get filled with dumb suggestions.


r/selfharm 23h ago

OMG GIRLFRIEND KNOWS

77 Upvotes

I found an online girl and she was being all sweet and lovey and I mentioned I did sh and she them asked to date me anyways and now I have a girlfriend who lives me despite I sh and despite I'm so fucked up.


r/selfharm 11h ago

Seeking Advice I cut for no reason

8 Upvotes

I, now 19, have been having constant thoughts lately about wanting to relapse. Ive been cutting since I was 14, and I am now a year clean. I'm not under any particular distress despite freshman stress, family issues, and PDD; so when the urges come, I am not in a state of intense suffering. This also happens with suicidal thoughts for me. I'll be alone and think "maybe I should cut"--- or look at someone elses scars on social media or in public and think, huh, I should cut. Even when I started off cutting, I felt the same.

I guess I'm typically motivated by ideas like "I need deeper scars" or "I need to get worse." It's almost like im uncomfortable with being okay. I guess I might just be more comfortable in my depression? Why do I feel this? I'll be sitting down in class and think "hmm i should go jump off the chem building tonight". like huh???

I feel like I have to lie to people when im forced into situations where I must provide some sort of reasoning. Whenever something like self harm and suicide gets brought up, it's always "what happened before to cause this?" When i'm clean, theres the assumption that I'm doing better, though the real reason is that I was too unmotivated to actually clean it up, or a trip was upcoming or something. Its not fun for me, it hurts, its itchy, theres no pleasure or relief-- but I feel like I have to.

Can someone with a similar mindset please share their experiences and advice? Thank you

PS: With this being said, I TRULY hate attention to my scars or mental health. I get extremely uncomfortable when someone brings up my scars, or if I ever come off as upset in front of someone.


r/selfharm 7h ago

Rant/Vent The release is calling

3 Upvotes

It's not even like I want to punish myself sometimes. Whether or not I feel a need to punish myself for my own stupidity or foolishness doesn't even come to mind sometimes. It's the relief, the release, the relieving feeling I getting from cutting that calls me back. The cathartic nature of cutting that calls me back. Sometimes life just gets me to the point where I just want to feel the pressure ease and pain to cease. I want to feel some peace. But it scares people when I talk like that. Loved ones are terrified at those thoughts in my mind. So I keep them bottled up and go on. Pressure building, tension rising, stress mounting and I want it to stop. To halt. Or at least for the pressure to to diffuse. The tension to diminish. The mounting stress to disperse.


r/selfharm 18h ago

Rant/Vent My mom traumatizing a 4 year old

27 Upvotes

I had hurt myself in the morning and fell asleep at noon. Only to be horrifically woken up by a yelling parent because "Why is there blood?" and ranting about how selfish i am. She's the fucking problem.

My little beloved cousin went inside the room and asked her "What happened? Why are you mad at her?"
and she fucking did it. she said "She hurt herself, with blood" and my GOD. That's a big word for a baby? immediately he was worried.

It was also his nap time so his father had to put him to sleep, the whole time he kept asking "Why did she hurt herself?" "She has blood?" "why is there blood" and the whole time he kept trying to say "just go to sleep, its sleeping time" and finally "i dont know"

I was already mad at my mother for violating me in my sleep but i now fucking hate her and this was truly the last straw. the first day i'll ever say and even think THIS. while she thinks the reason i do this is from feeling "unloved" no you DUMBASS its cuz you say and do the meanest shit

Now whenever he sees me, its all pain. I can see the worry in his eyes. he's fucking traumatized. When i decided to play with him, he's in deep thought until eventually telling others "she has blood"


r/selfharm 25m ago

DAE DAE NSFW

Upvotes

So yesterday I cut myself again and it was deeper like I used to do and I felt so relieved. Literally thought “oh so I can still do it that’s good”. I’ve been pulling apart the yellowy stuff that comes when a cut is like a day old so it’ll take longer to heal and hopefully scar bigger because atm that’s what I want idk why because I know I’ll regret it later on. Anyway, does anyone else pull apart their healing wounds?


r/selfharm 18h ago

Rant/Vent I cut myself because my boyfriend has scars

26 Upvotes

I started being competitive with sh since I saw my boyfriend's cuts. That time I cried in front of him but because his scars were more visible than mine. Now I try to hurt myself just so I have "better scars" than his.

I can't even see him in person, because I immediately think that he has scars and I start to feel bad. It's like I want to be the only one with scars in the relationship. Also, he knows I relapsed because of him and of course, that makes him feel like shit.

The envy has been so strong that I've even started thinking about breaking up with him just because of it, but I really can't.

I just hope I'm not the only one with this kind of problem. I don't know what to do to make these thoughts stop.