
   [INLINE] Quote added in last update (22 September 98)
   
How did people react when you came out as a self-injurer?

     [INLINE] I told a life long best friend. Not easily but I felt I
     had to she knew I had these problems when I was younger. I told her
     over the phone. I told my mom (only once, I haven't been honest
     with her since because she became really dramatic). I told her
     because I needed her to pay for the emergency room bill and I had
     her stay with me when I got out of the hospital because I didn't
     think I could stop myself. I had to tell my dad because he is a
     doctor and he treated me the last time because I knew I'd be put in
     the hospital if I went to anyone else. He was very calm about it
     and said, "The next time there will be no anesthesia." [female, age
     21, 8 years SIB, junior in college]
     
     [INLINE] People have asked me about it, and I gave them the
     shortened summary of why, and they look disgusted and call me
     names. [male, age 14, 2 years SIB]
     
     [INLINE] When I tell people they usually try to be empathetic, but
     it is usually obvious that they are filled with confusion, morbid
     thoughts and images. All I know to tell them is that it helps me.
     In a sick way, It helps me. Too, I feel with me that it has become
     an addiction of sorts. The cravings for self-harm can be just as
     bad as a craving for a drug. [female, age 38, 27 years SIB, some
     college]
     
     [INLINE] I got into a fight with my mother when I asked her if I
     could see a psychiatrist. She said, "You have to tell me why." So I
     told her that the scars on my arms weren't from my cat. She asked
     if they were "needle tracks from using heroin." Now let me tell
     you, when you are asking for help and someone accuses you of using
     drugs, it just makes you feel worse. So I yelled and screamed at
     her and told her what it was. Then she agreed to get me help.
     [female, age 17, 7 years SIB, HS senior]
     
     A few months after I told my mom about my cutting, she always had
     this grudge with me about it. She always made me cover it up when
     people came over the house, sometimes I really didn't care if
     people would ask about it because I can always lie about it and
     they would believe the lie. My mom told me once that if I ever cut
     myself again that she would kick my a$$. That really hurt my
     feelings because it's just like an addiction. It's like being an
     alcoholic, it's hard not to take that sip of beer that made you
     became an alcoholic... it's hard to stop cutting, it really is.
     [female, age 16, 9 months SIB, 8th grade]
     
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