Resource Self Harm Support Thread

[JesiBel]

I didn't know redness meant it was infected...guess I've had a lot of infected wounds then. Thank you for this guide btw it's really useful <3

Oh, be careful.

Keep your wounds clean and treat them to prevent complications. Cuts are a perfect entry point for bacteria and germs, and even dirt from the environment. If they are swollen, painful (no matter how many days pass), and have reddish edges they may be infected; watch for any white or yellowish fluid or red streaks extending away from the wound. If you have a fever and recent cuts that don't look ok, be suspicious and see a doctor.

If you Self-Harm frequently it's good to have a small first aid kit for yourself:

You can equip it with basic disposables, sterile gauze, hypoallergenic tape, sterile swabs, gloves, and a neutral soap (to clean the wound, they are not irritating or aggressive to the injured tissues. Never use antibacterial soaps or soaps with essences/perfumes because they are irritating)

It is important to clean your wounds at least once a day, never let the bandage/gauze stay wet or dirty for too long, keep it dry and clean. Change it as many times as necessary.

Do not cover the wound tightly or airtight, preventing oxygen from reaching it; otherwise, it will not heal quickly.

If you use the same "tool" to SH, keep it clean too. In critical moments, we don't check its condition and use it without thinking.
Make sure its blade is not chipped, damaged, or rusty.

 

[flyingovertrees]

These past few months I've slipped back into the habit of burning myself. Anyone else prefer it to cutting? I find it less messy and with easier aftercare. I like the sensation of it too, the relief it gives me is nearly instantaneous. Plus, the tool I use (a pocket lighter) leaves crescent-shaped burns that I find cute in a morbid way. They look like little scales haha.

 

[Porgierot]

Burns take way too long to heal and are much more likely to get infected despite proper woundcare. I suppose with a lighter the area affected is small enough that it may not be the case for you though. I have had different types of them and while I do get the urge now and then I prefer to cut because I don't have the patience for a wound that takes over two months of healing and a burn smaller than my others could never be proper for me, so the 2+ month of healing time is a guarantee.

 

[Kai64]

When i was, like, around 16 and 17 i would mostly self harm by using sharp objects such as pencils, scissors and even knifes my mother uses to prepare food on my home. I still have some marks left on my body, but my mother for some reason never went to investigate on them further. I am trying to find any other objects to cut without leaving any more noticeable marks.

 

[ThatsAllFolks2218]

I have been thinking of self harm lately. I have thought about using a kitchen knife but I am such a chicken shit for pain haha
When I was bullied and ostracized and cyberstalked in my first year of art school, i used a xacto knife. I didn't do marks I used words, from what I would hear other students describe me as. God, I thought I was that invisible that the next day when I had to do a art table for a convention, needless to say the people next to me definitely noticed. They even went to another booth and had a discussion about it. Good thing I brought my hoodie to cover it up. It honestly was awkward. I remember that day, I drew like Lolita Hjabis with Copic Markers that someone was using, I did commission work, someone even drew a picture of me haha.
I don't think currently I will do a art table with my reputation that follows.

 

[starrypandabear]

Ive been self harming since a very young age for a couple of different reasons. To be honestly I feel a little embarrassed to self harm as an adult because no one talks about it as an adult other than here I suppose. I don't know if this makes sense.

 

[j888]

i started cutting in late elementary/early middle school on my arm. at the time the marks were very noticeable, but i guess they were too shallow to even scar, as they've all completely disappeared. i wasnt being careful hiding my arm one time and got caught by my mom. dont remember much after that, but i know in the next year or so i got clean and i was recovered for many years. last september/october when my mental health started declining rapidly again for no apparent reason, the urge to sh again was so strong. every once in a while over the years id get a urge but i was able to ignore the thought. it became too tempting again though, and now i'm back to doing it. my years of being recovered seemed to help though, because i dont do it nearly as frequently as back then. i end up telling myself ill do it later tonight but i'll get too lazy a lot LOL. whenever i do it i usually do just 1-3 at a time and im good, when back then i could do like 50 at a time. nowadays though i go a lot deeper, they leave noticeable lasting scars. quality over quantity i guess?? i do it on my upper arm now though so i dont have to be worried about anyone ever seeing it since it'll always be covered with a tshirt. even though it hurts and i can get scared sometimes, i keep trying to go slightly deeper than the last session each time. i think to myself, "if i cant go even the slightest bit deeper or handle this pain, how will i have the courage and resolve to kms?"

 

[pumpkinpie]

Anyone else likes the shock? It's like for only one moment I just feel and think nothing. Which is so freeing when your brain is constantly screaming things at you. Nevertheless it makes me sad that something as abnormal as self harm is one of the view things that lift the weight of our modern dystopia off of my shoulders.. even if it's just for a short second.

I'm so tired.

Edit: I'm literally tired rn and what I wrote didn't make sense grammatically so I corrected it