Venting Does anyone feel like SH takes too much effort?

[Nervous young man]

I like the looks of those fat purple scars and I love all the blood ( except when it sprays onto everything I own ) and I love feeling like I did something good / accomplished something good from cutting but it just takes so much effort to get there.

Cleaning, disinfecting, steri strips ( be careful to stop the bleeding first otherwise you have to redo it AND deal with the shaking ), cleaning, stopping the bleeding, having to use your non dominant hand once you fill up a spot, angle the blade right to catch your skin so it cuts deeper, make sure your blades are still good so they don't leave a pitiful cut that's embarrassing and going to be there for a while, having to put the blade back in that pitiful cut just to get deeper, I mean the list goes on. Buying new blades, did I mention stopping the bleeding because there is blood over everything I own, and finally TAKING A SHOWER SUCKS. Riding public transport and get bumped into, hope you didn't like that cute top because its about to be ruined your steri strips just came undone, limited joint movement.

I won't stop cutting I just wish that it was less of a hassle but I guess I deserve it so its okay in the end. I would cut way more ( not just when I'm having an episode ) if I could somehow avoid this all. Anyone feel the same way?

 

[3FailedAttemptss]

I definitely feel this! Though I have the added difficulty of having to conceal my SH which is now unfortunately confined to my thighs, which sucks to cut!! it's always so precarious to get the blade at an appropriate angle. But yeah I definitely feel the hassle of getting blood everywhere - especially yk when i'm trying to hide it from my family. Oh my god yes though - showers fucking suckkkk with cuts and bandages ( ；´Д｀)

Oh well, I love my scars too much. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

 

[Nervous young man]

I definitely feel this! Though I have the added difficulty of having to conceal my SH which is now unfortunately confined to my thighs, which sucks to cut!! it's always so precarious to get the blade at an appropriate angle. But yeah I definitely feel the hassle of getting blood everywhere - especially yk when i'm trying to hide it from my family. Oh my god yes though - showers fucking suckkkk with cuts and bandages ( ；´Д｀)

Oh well, I live my scars too much. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

I mean I was never planning on wearing a swimsuit but now I definitely can't. My family hates me so I don't really have to conceal them but they do ruin alot of my fit ideas. Cottagecore isn't the same when you're covered in cuts. And the looks are the worst, I'm also covered in cigarette burns so people look at me like a complete freak.

Yeah I love my scars too much too and after 5 years ( I'm a pussy ) only now figured out how to get the cool big ones so I have alot of cutting to catch up on.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I'm too squemish for serious self harm. The most I'll do is smack myself in the face or, hit myself over the head with something. It's usually motivated by frustration with myself for me. However, I've managed to stop myself for a while because, just like other coping mechanisms- comfort eating, alcohol, it only helps in that tiny moment. I then get a headache or whatever but still need to keep working. I've tried to settle on a great big swearing session. Which, isn't as satisfying really.

 

[Nervous young man]

I'm too squemish for serious self harm. The most I'll do is smack myself in the face or, hit myself over the head with something. It's usually motivated by frustration with myself for me. However, I've managed to stop myself for a while because, just like other coping mechanisms- comfort eating, alcohol, it only helps in that tiny moment. I then get a headache or whatever but still need to keep working. I've tried to settle on a great big swearing session. Which, isn't as satisfying really.

I would argue that its better to not hurt yourself or have good coping mechanisms but sometimes it's just too hard not to.

 

[apearl]

I won't stop cutting I just wish that it was less of a hassle but I guess I deserve it so its okay in the end. I would cut way more ( not just when I'm having an episode ) if I could somehow avoid this all. Anyone feel the same way?

I relate a lot, I'm in college and have parents who don't know about it and having to do all you talked about and hide it for 8 years now is so exhausting sometimes.

Since moving in with a dormmate it means I have to get creative in places to sh but also not make a bloody mess in public spaces bc thats biohazard. So I end up spending 15% of the time actually shing and the 85% cleaning myself and the room, which is pretty cumbersome.

Also please stay safe, I know first aid is a lot of work but its worth it to not get an infection. :)

 

[foreverstardust]

Tbh I'm more on the opposite end, I've always been so lazy when it comes to self harm. I don't think I disinfected my scalpel once, just swapped the blade whenever it got noticeably rusty. Never cleaned my skin before or after, I'd just wrap my arm in a towel until it clots and scabs over and then just leave it, sometimes I'd bleed through a shirt after but I never really cared. I saw someone on reddit once post their little SH kit and I was like damn you put a lot of effort into this lol.

 

[Nervous young man]

I'd just wrap my arm in a towel until it clots and scabs over

This works unless its deep enough that I end up bleeding for days then the clot gets attached to the towel and rips out the whole clot and im bleeding everywhere again. I've had to move to steri strips and grabbing the headboard of my bed to stop the bleeding so I can even sleep at night.

I relate a lot, I'm in college and have parents who don't know about it and having to do all you talked about and hide it for 8 years now is so exhausting sometimes.

Since moving in with a dormmate it means I have to get creative in places to sh but also not make a bloody mess in public spaces bc thats biohazard. So I end up spending 15% of the time actually shing and the 85% cleaning myself and the room, which is pretty cumbersome.

Also please stay safe, I know first aid is a lot of work but its worth it to not get an infection. :)

I always try to be as clean as possible but that amounts to just pouring rubbing alcohol everywhere, steri stripping it, then badly taping gauze to my arm.