Slitting Wrists

[Uwe]

Pencil sharpener blade

[FlyingJesus]

That picture that Placeee posted actually shows quite well how "self harm" is done. Note how the cuts are on the tops of the arms, where you don't have a big ol' vein popping out and where it isn't going to do much harm at all. A lot of people I know have self harmed in the past in this way (tops of arms), and they were mostly little goth kids who did it not to look cool, but because they'd been told that self harm is the best way to sort out your problems whenever you feel a bit down. Attention, probably. Fashion, not in most cases. It's sad that people are opened up to these things, but that's life. I'll admit, I did it once or twice also, but I realised it didn't help at all, and learned to cope with my problems without hurting myself or anyone else.

What I think is the worst thing about self harm is that it's seen as something done by idiots who want to look cool, or for attention, which distracts peoples' care from those who really are depressed and need it. You aren't depressed just because you're not happy. People who suffer from true depression (which is a brain disorder, not a mood) are looked down upon because of the vast number of teens who claim to have it, which makes them feel even worse and means that people aren't as keen to help them. Someone said about the lawn mower blade incident, that's obviously somone who is truly depressed, a rash action from someone so desperate and unhappy that they truly want to die, and yes it is attention seeking, but these people do need the attention. Spending half an hour trying to break a blade out of a sharpener before carefully slicing neat lines into the top of your arm is not the same, and I personally think that goths and other people who take the attention away from those who need it most need a kick from a steel toe cap to the head.

[kasi]

alot of people take blades out of pencil sharpeners and use that.

[Lycan]

anything with an edge, i used to. sharpener blades, penknife .. also the point on badges is good for chicken scratchs but people say hurting themselves makes them feel better... trust me.. it really doesn't. i've been there.. done it... and got blood on the t-shirt.

just go to look beyond it - anyone wants to talk just pm me.. i'm meant to be revising but what the hoo

[Brody]

urgh very disgusting pencil sharpner blade and scissors

[Anotherkid3]

Heres my point of view on the whole situation.

If you try to kill yourself with a blade and it didn't work, then people found out about it, wouldn't that make your life a lot more stressfull.

If you tried shooting yourself you could hit a part of your brain that would paralyze you for teh rest of your life.

If you jumped off something you could become crypled or paralyzed for teh rest of your life.

Theres no real way to kill yourself without a good chance of staying alive and damaging yourself ..hanging yourself or drowning yourself another way to damage your brain from air loss.

My suggestion to you folks is to just suck it up and live through whats happening to you. Theres always that chance things might change

-Anotherkid3

[majesticdragon]

ok this is a good time to admit i have done it through depression many times though i am complete opposite of a goth anyways ur finger nail works suprisingly wel but usually best way is a compass kitchen knife or fro wusses a pencil sharpning blade wen dey do dat usually for atention!

[sarey]

Um.. sharpener blades arnt even painful.. you get alotta blood, but not much pain, since ive done that 2 nights back, razor blades (with 2-4 blades) sometimes you get alot of pain, and not so much blood, but sometimes other way round, or same amount. But, if your asking how to slit your wrists, like methods, thats kinda attetion seeking since you want people to know you wanna do it.. but selfharm isnt attetion seeking if you like.
-Do it in a secret place
-Cover your cuts up
- Dont tell anyone before/after
You know.. being secretive.. but if you walk around with your sleeves up and make the cuts stand out, thats attetion seeking, or if your all like too your friends, 'Oh look at my cuts arnt they just so cool!' Thats def attetion seeking.. you dont HAVE to be diognosed with depression to be depressed, sometimes your just depressed because its 'teenage years', and all puberty all that stuff, but sometimes its true depression which carries on throughout life, until you get treated of course. So basically if you wanna have scars on your arms and cuts, and probably a low blood count heres what to use to cut:
Razors, sharpener blades, penknife, knife, scissors, pins, your finger nails like majestic said, scapel (the things they use in hospitals, goodluck finding one) and anything basically sharp, like the edge of a piece of paper, a clip.. anything sharp really.

[FlyingJesus]

selfharm isnt attetion seeking if you like.
-Do it in a secret place
-Cover your cuts up
- Dont tell anyone before/after
You know.. being secretive..

Yes it is. Regardless of the fact that you aren't showing/telling people, there's a reason that you're doing it, and maybe you don't want people to see because you're afraid of what their reactions might be, but self harm is a cry for help in all cases (even just with those who do it to show off, they need help too). Also I find it funny how you basically just called yourself an attention seeker.

you dont HAVE to be diognosed with depression to be depressed, sometimes your just depressed because its 'teenage years', and all puberty all that stuff, but sometimes its true depression which carries on throughout life, until you get treated of course.

Well no, it doesn't have to be diagnosed, but it's pretty easy to tell if you have true depression or not, because you don't need reasons to feel bad, you just do. Depression as a mood is no excuse for anything in my opinion, get on with it. If you have depression in the real form (or think you might) you should seek a doctor's advice.

So basically if you wanna have scars on your arms and cuts, and probably a low blood count heres what to use to cut:
Razors, sharpener blades, penknife, knife, scissors, pins, your finger nails like majestic said, scapel (the things they use in hospitals, goodluck finding one) and anything basically sharp, like the edge of a piece of paper, a clip.. anything sharp really.

...And here ends the "How To Self Harm" manual, by A. N. Idiot.

[The Professor]

That picture that Placeee posted actually shows quite well how "self harm" is done. Note how the cuts are on the tops of the arms, where you don't have a big ol' vein popping out and where it isn't going to do much harm at all. A lot of people I know have self harmed in the past in this way (tops of arms), and they were mostly little goth kids who did it not to look cool, but because they'd been told that self harm is the best way to sort out your problems whenever you feel a bit down. Attention, probably. Fashion, not in most cases. It's sad that people are opened up to these things, but that's life. I'll admit, I did it once or twice also, but I realised it didn't help at all, and learned to cope with my problems without hurting myself or anyone else.

What I think is the worst thing about self harm is that it's seen as something done by idiots who want to look cool, or for attention, which distracts peoples' care from those who really are depressed and need it. You aren't depressed just because you're not happy. People who suffer from true depression (which is a brain disorder, not a mood) are looked down upon because of the vast number of teens who claim to have it, which makes them feel even worse and means that people aren't as keen to help them. Someone said about the lawn mower blade incident, that's obviously somone who is truly depressed, a rash action from someone so desperate and unhappy that they truly want to die, and yes it is attention seeking, but these people do need the attention. Spending half an hour trying to break a blade out of a sharpener before carefully slicing neat lines into the top of your arm is not the same, and I personally think that goths and other people who take the attention away from those who need it most need a kick from a steel toe cap to the head.

Big healthy dollop of rep coming your way. Lovin every word of it. And darksarah dudette, i suggest you get psychiatric help. If you really love pain, give yourself cramp in your foot (by bending your toes too much). I sometimes do that when i bored in bed, very amusing until it starts to really kane, in which case you bend your toes backwards slightly and it stops. Very good way to kill time. Or you could go play a game or go out, thats a good way to kill time too. If you dont like your arms that much, get rid of them, dont try to graffiti on them with sharp objects.

Back to the quote, loving the point about true depression and attention seekers. I cant really add any more because it sums it up perfectly. And normally i would spit on you for having done it to yourself in the first place, but I understand you somewhat (i could easily have done the same thing if i didnt have more self control when my parents split up) and i admire that you have learned that its pointless, good for you. (Btw, try the cramp thing, it is rather fun. Ive found jumping into a river quickly produces the same effect, although its much harder to get rid of and when youre trying to right a boat it can be irritating :p)