Why do borderlines cut themselves?

I'm not sure if all borderlines cut themselves, so my apologies to you if you feel offended by my generalization.

What I want to know is why the borderlines who cut themselves, cut themselves?

Do they do it in order to replace emotional pain with a more tolerable sensation (physical pain)?

Hey again my friend,

Cutting is one of those general responses that mentally ill people have for dealing with their [mental] pain, anguish, anger, etc. Some people cope by binge-eating, while others cope by putting on music; while others again, cope by cutting. Do you understand what I mean?

Kevin

Chucky wrote:Hey again my friend,

Cutting is one of those general responses that mentally ill people have for dealing with their [mental] pain, anguish, anger, etc. Some people cope by binge-eating, while others cope by putting on music; while others again, cope by cutting. Do you understand what I mean?

Kevin

So it's not a matter of drowning emotional pain in physical pain? Or is it more about the adrenaline rush?

I think it's mostly the first one ("drowning emotional pain in physical pain"). That's what the 'cutters' do. Binge-eaters, however, drown their pain by stuffing their face with food. Do you see the comparison? They are each just different ways that people cope with emotional pain.

its expressing the emotional pain that is not expressed mentally and verbally.
All the bad painful thoughts that were never uttered are said through the physical act.

As a former cutter, I think I can answer this through my own observations during and after my addiction.

Generally, people can S-I (self injure) for different reasons. But all of them come down to coping with something.

For some, that coping may be to drown their emotional pain with physical. For others, it may be a way to feel "real" through feeling physical stimuli. For others, the pain may be burdening and they may not like or appreciate it at all, but they do it so that when they see blood, it is an emotional release.

In all of these cases, it is due to something stressful causing them these feelings. Either they feel "unreal", or they feel so stressed that they need some way to release this stress. They could also feel like they are unworthy of pleasure due to constant disapproval and so they will only harm themselves as they feel they deserve it.

There are a wealth of other reasons, but generally, it comes down to finding a way (in this case, cutting) to cope with something and using it when you feel you need to.

It works just as any addiction would, but instead of physical dependence, there is extreme psychological dependence. Instead of doing a drug to escape reality, or listening to music as a way to relate to something (as Kevin said), cutting is done because it is both physical and psychological, which allows for far more emotional release than just a lone mental or physical coping mechanism.

Hope that answers your question.

NAH. Let me just get this straight. I have borderline but I don't cut myself at all. Cutting is wrong. I know it's wrong. And btw, why would I want scars on myself? It's just internal emotional pain, cutting doesn't help and is only for losers... WTF is cutting gonna help you do? Your still going to feel pain anyway. Might as well just feel the pain. Cutting yourself is creating more physical and internal pain for youself. SO WTF is up with that? FREAKEN EMOS ...people...

My ex was (and probably is) a self harmer. He'd cut himself, bang his fist in a wall till it bled or became swollen, reckless driving on his motorbike, and he'd text or phone me during his low periods sometimes saying how nice it would feel to stab himself with a knife
One of the reasons I left him was that I couldn't take any more of the 'drama' as I have my own mental issues to deal with. I knew he needed psychological help but he refused to go to a doctor. In hindsight and after much reasearch now, I wish I knew more about his condition and I might have been able to persuade him to seek help

Susiex3 wrote:NAH. Let me just get this straight. I have borderline but I don't cut myself at all. Cutting is wrong. I know it's wrong. And btw, why would I want scars on myself? It's just internal emotional pain, cutting doesn't help and is only for losers... WTF is cutting gonna help you do? Your still going to feel pain anyway. Might as well just feel the pain. Cutting yourself is creating more physical and internal pain for youself. SO WTF is up with that? FREAKEN EMOS ...people...

Cutting for some people is the same as binge-eating for others, which is also the same as biting nails, drinking beer, smoking, etc. They are all ways that people deal with sadness/stress. Other people, however, manage these constructively, like talking to their friends, for example.

I started cutting myself because Prozac, the medication I was on, "numbed" me. I couldn't feel sadness, happiness, pain, anything. It was a nightmare. I cut myself because I rather feel physical pain than nothing at all.

I'm also a masochist. (Don't joke, please, I'm serious.) I discovered that my freshman year of high school. I go to a military school and I discovered that I liked it when people inflicted physical pain on me. It "felt good".