Self-harm question

[tapetum_lucidum]

I prefer ankles because the skin is thick enough where it's easy to cut pretty deep with minimal pain but a lot of blood still c:

 

[darksouls]

forearms

 

[sweetcreep]

i find thighs work best for me. i'd rather not have any questions or comments about scars or anything so i do my best to hide them. i don't really go to the beach at all anyways so it's not really something i worry about everyday. and i feel like my thighs have more room than my arms and give me the same satisfaction that i get from using my forearms.

 

[iamnotadinosaur:(]

I usually do wrists, they're reachable and bleed easily, and the cuts look dramatic which is satisfying to see

 

[faith.collapsing]

For me, I prefer cutting somewhere along my biceps and triceps. The level of "sting" is pleasant to me. It's my personal alternative from cutting my wrists and somewhere near my forearms since I have veiny arms.

 

[Signal]

Usually my upper arms because I don't want people to notice my scars but I still want to cut my arms because i find it really satisfying, still, I think I'm gonna start cutting my thighs soon

 

[Forveleth]

I cut on my thighs because it is very easy to hide. Also my pants tend to rub my cuts as I move so the pain will continue for days at a time.

 

[JesiBel]

Forearms. I think it's an easier area to access. And the wounds don't bother you too much there.

 

[dead dav]

chest stomach

 

[Visitor_]

Wrist. Used to be my arms but now there's a certain excitement i get when I go over my wrist or neck

 

[princexhhn]

Forearms because I started doing it there and got used to it

 

[superbfrawg]

i prefer doing forearms but i dont want people to notice it, so im trying to stick to upper arms only now

 

[wishingonstars]

I started on forearms many many years ago but it was impossible to hide and I ended up in an inpatient hospital so after that my go to has been hips and thighs because it's easy to hide. It's really not as satisfying as forearms but it works.

 

[diseasedstreetcat]

lower legs, i feel safer about cutting there because i feel it's harder to cut a vein or something. i also like the scars that form
it's impossible to hide but nobody has noticed so far. I cut very infrequently though, so it might just be because of that

 

[liquid jen]

I prefer the look and sensation of cutting my wrists, but have only done it once or twice. Not worth getting noticed. I stick to only my left thigh.

 

[tapetum_lucidum]

lower legs, i feel safer about cutting there because i feel it's harder to cut a vein or something. i also like the scars that form
it's impossible to hide but nobody has noticed so far. I cut very infrequently though, so it might just be because of that

I don't think it's too hard to hide , I just wear really long socks . Swimming might be another thing but I'm sure you could just cut the foot part of of a sock and wear it and say it's for fashion or something lol

 

[CumbriaCTB]

The top of the right forearm for a few reasons. Yes, the right forearm specifically as am I indeed left-handed.

1. Lack of Consequences
I do not care about people seeing my fresh cut wounds precisely because there are no actual consequences when it happens. It would be impossible for me to pass an in-person job interview (I know this because every time I've lied on my CV and gotten an interview you could draw a red-dotted-line from the interviewer's eyes straight to my right forearm... and then they've suddenly "found a more suitable candidate" haha) but the funny thing is that I don't even need to pass interviews. Or get a job at all for that matter.

I'm on pretty much the highest disability payment you can get in the UK as a single person (UC w/ LWCRA + enhanced PIP), have neither hobbies nor social life, and live in a rural area so money currently isn't an issue. Before then, I was on Child Disability since around age 12 - so before I started blatantly cutting myself - which pretty much guarantees lifelong access to disability money as an adult here because childhood mental disorders which continue into adulthood are de facto chronic due to NHS incompetence.... and the DWP is much more likely to believe you if your (respectable, employed) parents said the same things about you a decade ago.

I've met people (funnily enough, a lot of them work for the NHS) who have had to switch cutting locations in order to keep their jobs and they just seem absolutely miserable. Being able to cut myself on my own terms is one of the reasons why I'm not having back-to-back CTB attempts; why kill yourself when you can just grab a blade and get high?

2. Visual Communication/Identification
My plainly visible cuts - which, by the way, aren't the neat "tiger stripes" but rather what you'd expect from somebody who mostly loses control (and cuts specifically as a way of letting loose and not worrying about the consequences) as soon as the blade touches the skin - tend to let other
people know immediately, before I even open my mouth, that I have some quite severe mental health problems and am obviously a danger to myself. Nobody I meet is surprised to learn that I'm suicidal.

This is all my deasign. Having a way of showing people via my appearance that I have problems is a fantastic way of preventing conflict. People for whom severe mental issues are a dealbreaker can literally just not speak to me at all instead of getting to know me, finding out I have problems, and then having cut me off. It's a win-win situation.

3. Ergonomics & Comfort
Honestly, this is the primary reason. I have complete control over my forearms. Try moving your own forearm around: you can arrange it in all sorts of positions and angles while still having full visibility of the forearm. This allows me to cut anywhere, anytime, and with any sharp object I can find; when you've been at it for over a decade, choosing the best angle for your current situation just becomes second nature. I can press my palm onto a wall while stood up, I can sit cross-legged with my arm on my lap, and I can even place my hand under my chin so that I can "play the violin".

I also cut for sensory reasons so being able to actually see the blood squirting out, without using a mirror, is *amazing*. Heck, I often bring my forearm to my nose for a sniff of the iron-y smell and can easily drink straight from the source which is definitely an acquired taste - and, yes, my blood is indeed sweeter after I've eaten cake.

Lastly, it is far easier to bandage the forearm (I think only the legs, especially the shins, are easier to bandage since you have both hands free) than many of the other common cutting locations. Now, I do love free-bleeding all over myself - like I said earlier: it's all about losing control for me - and have done so countless times but the reason I bandage nowadays is because I have some nice clothes and blankets that I'd rather not see bloodied whenever the wound reopens.

Many Thanks,
CumbriaCTB

 

[Namelesa]

Forearms. Mostly cus i find it to be the area i most visually like my cuts to be on. Don't really like it on thighs as i like keeping them clear as well is the area i put my hormone gel on. Don't do it on upper arms for gel reason too. Don't want to do it on wrists cus of viens.

 

[westerly_merlin]

Used to be my forearms but it got too many comments from an ex-friend who has many scars but gave me a hard time over two new scars.

Recently been upper arm above the t-shirt sleeve line so not visible, however I have had to hold off for a while as I want to get a tattoo there.

 

[tapetum_lucidum]

Used to be my forearms but it got too many comments from an ex-friend who has many scars but gave me a hard time over two new scars.

Recently been upper arm above the t-shirt sleeve line so not visible, however I have had to hold off for a while as I want to get a tattoo there.

What tattoo are you going to get ?

Forearms. Mostly cus i find it to be the area i most visually like my cuts to be on. Don't really like it on thighs as i like keeping them clear as well is the area i put my hormone gel on. Don't do it on upper arms for gel reason too. Don't want to do it on wrists cus of viens.

I used to be on testosterone gel but I've since switched to injections so this isn't an issue for me anymore . I completely understand where you're coming from though

 

[westerly_merlin]

What tattoo are you going to get ?

Going for a raven looking over it's back with a semicolon on it's chest.