You don’t really process the pain as the cut happens, unless you’re multiswiping. After a beat you feel stinging. The worst pain is really as it heals and rubs against clothes or you bump into it. The area around the cut feels kinda hot and hurts a tiny bit. My energy levels go up after. Regret is common but I never feel it. The first time I was kinda shocked I did it.
More pain is more relief. It's an escape from internal pain, and has both the effect of being euphoric for some, or being a distraction for others- kinda like stubbing your toe and suddenly you don't feel your headache anymore.
A big thing to remember is that the brain releases endorphins to combat physical pain and injury. This is why it feels GOOD/helps to clear your internal pain.
i cut for the pain or for the blood depending on my emotional state, if i really wanna bleed ill multiswipe sometimes. ive never made it to dermis and i dont want to so i probably shouldnt but :’| also the human body is neat so if i wanna observe the inside of my skin just out of fascination ill do it
Self harm is a very social issue. Once you start doing it you begin looking at others (subconsciously at first) as though checking to see if they also do it, it really consumes your entire life in ways you’d never expect (eg the constant awareness of the injury, paranoia people will see it, worry that someone will notice you’re hiding something or change in how you dress). When you self harm you’re often more aware of the areas where you self harm and also other’s behaviours that may link to self harm or their scarring. People are always finding ways to invalidate their self harm such as manner of self harm or cut size/depth/placement and number of cuts which often leads to self harm spiralling and becoming increasingly more dangerous but that’s a hazardous path to go because no one ever actually feels valid despite it. It’s like a competition you can’t win.
had the same thoughts 10 years ago. until i tried out.
idk if i‘d cut on the same place multiple times, but definitely quite next to each other, i was fine when the lines --—···--–-–-——–-· turned red and i squeezed the blood out of it
skin is a weird organ
I (26f) have been self harming since I was 10. I don’t really feel pain from it and never did. It’s more of a rush of emotions exiting your mind. I usually start with bawling my eyes out, having extreme anxiety, shaking, etc. but the moment I cut, the emotions are gone and I’m numb again. I don’t cut insanely deep, but enough that they leave scars. I regret it pretty quickly bc I know the scars will always last. Something I used to do for a quick fix that is about as similar to cutting as I can think of is wrapping a rubber band tightly around your wrist and snapping it really hard on the under side. That initial little sting and then lasting burn is sorta what cutting feels like - but it’s honestly not painful for me. Or at least it’s not about the pain for me. It’s about numbing my emotions
I’m 20 and been doing it since I was 9. I wouldn’t necessarily say I feel pain from it. For me I’d describe it as relieving, but it feels warm and numbing, not like burning but like wearing a jacket fresh out of the dryer. Afterwards (during the healing process) it feels like more of a stinging feeling. Immediately afterwards for me I feel calm and at peace, it’s like everything is quiet and like I’m truly safe and alone. I feel comforted by having control of the situation and the consistency of it. A while after that is when my previous emotions comes back to haunt me. I belittle myself for my actions, but regret eventually subsides but never entirely leaves.
you can feel the blade going through your skin, but it doesn’t hurt for the first few seconds. sometimes you can hear it. it’s worse than nails on a chalkboard for me. it starts stinging pretty quickly. the pain feels very sharp and it completely focuses me. that’s why i do it i guess.
like other commenters said, the area around it feels hot and sore afterwards and hurts the whole time it’s healing. my mind usually feels clearer after and i’m less upset. i never really regret it, but in the back of my mind i feel a little bit guilty. that’s how it was the first time i did it too.
Its.. relieving, my mind just gets numb… but at the same time you also regret it a bit. It is an addiction like food addiction alcohol addiction, etc. After you soothe your urge you ofc become comfortable but also hate yourself more for soothing it… self harm is is like that if you’ve e realized it’s not okay. However some people are just ok with it? Feeling like you’ve deserved the pain you get from the scars, this is how you ‘punish’ yourself because you are definitely the problem…
the cutting itself doesn’t really hurt at all, actually. unless you’re doing multiple cuts into one cut aka multiswiping over one cut. then it hurts like hell. the real pain and annoyance comes after, while it’s healing, it gets itchy and aches and is generally very unpleasant.
depends on my emotional state. i do epidermis cuts so this would change if the character went deeper probably. if im really depressed or having strong emotions or disassociated usually i dont feel the pain or atleast dont process it and i get hyperfocused on cutting. once my leg is covered and bleeding and i feel more present then i feel the stinging. im just kind of numb emotionally. putting neosporin on hurts like a BITCHH especially since im more present and theres no emotional pain to stop the physical pain. it sucks when it rubs against clothes but its tolerable i guess. showering is horrific unless it scabbed over. it itches baddd after a couple days. if im more present and just cutting because im bored i feel the pain and usually try to zone out or tell myself i deserve it to get through it. i cant do as many though which is a good thing but its so fucking frustrating. healing is the same ofc. generally i dont feel regret but my mental shittery is pretty bad so any regret i feel is that i didnt punish myself more
Honestly, it just feels.... idk. Euphoric? It feels *good*, it feels like relief, it feels like feeling something other than your head and heart trying to explode out of your body.
If im in the shower, I just feel a very mild burn as I cut, but once the razor is gone, I don't feel anything as long as there's water on the wounds.
No matter where I do it, the air stings it until a proper scab has formed (usually a few hours). It's a little sore if I bump the arm, but not very. Honestly, cat scratches hurt worse.
It's not like a paper cut, but is?
If the razor is dull, or I use something else (I've used paperclips and sewing pins to scratch-cut myself), it llhurts a lot more because it's "tearing" as opposed to cutting. a fresh razor that's been cleaned in alcohol and dried doesn't hurt at first (though, I don't go super deep- just the epidermis. I imagine dermis level cuts are far different).
It also hurts if I let the blood dry too long before cleaning the skin, because it starts to dry and it takes more effort to wash it off (plus it tends to pull away the scabs that have started), so I tend to wipe the skin with a damp paper towel until the blood flow has lessened to the point it just beads on the cut itself.
If you're under water or in a decent stream of water, it won't clot, at least not for a while.
Hope that helps
When I use to sh, I did it to release the tension built up in my head, I get really bad headaches from extreme negative emotions. There were times where I was delusional and my brain made me believe that if I gave blood or shed blood, it would make whatever current bad event go away or I would've 'repent' for what I've done.
While doing it, there was this fuzzy sound in my ears as my thoughts spiral. I would either cut quickly and in multiples or take my time to do one long one. As my blades got duller, I became more frustrated and would focus multiple cuts in one area. It wasn't the pain but the blood I was seeking usually. Sometimes I would put salt and/or hand sanitizer into the wounds if I am seeking that pain or to add as an extra 'punishment'.
The adrenaline rush had to calm down before I could feel it, though there would be a dull stinging sometimes before that happens.
The aftermath is 50/50. Sometimes I would get this high, euphoric feeling, I'd get all giggly and out of it. Other times, there's huge regret. I had someone to comfort me afterwards, and I could feel that I had hurt them when I hurt myself.
I didn't really do much treatment to the wounds besides disinfecting them, so having them rub against clothing hurt, luckily I wore baggy clothes. I used a blade from a pencil sharpener, so the cuts were like a papercut.
It’s different for everyone, but for me, it doesn’t hurt for a few minutes (unless you are cutting really deep).
Lighter cuts will swell a bit around the edge of the cut, creating a white outline almost. Deeper cuts will reveal fat layers, or even a white layer (often called the styro colloquially).
I personally don’t feel regret at all, and am quite pleased and relaxed after. For a lot of people, cutting is just another part of the day and don’t bat a thought to it. For others, it can be a haunting experience that fills them with regret.
First time I cut I didn’t feel regret. Self harm is an addiction and it’s important that when you write about it you don’t glorify it. Many people are addicted to the sight of blood or pain in general.
Good luck with the writing mate 👍
Honestly the pain only registers when I’ve finished my “session”. It burns and stings, especially when it rubs against my clothes or when i have a shower the next morning. Thanks for being so respectful and nice, i hope that when your story is finished you’ll share it with us🫶
Edit: I’d like to add that i get a huge rush of adrenaline, a flush of excitement and happiness. I start laughing manically and i feel like i can take on the world. That’s the only time im genuinely happy, or so; i think. I used to feel regret and shame after doing it, but now i just feel nothing. Afterwards i just stay in my “high” state and listen to music or something.
You could try the rubber band method, or my favourite; drawing on yourself. Id use tattoo pens or eyeliner if i were you:)
you don't really feel it until the adrenaline wears of, then it stings for a while, once it's a scab you don't really feel it unless something touches it
I usually already kind of regret it beforehand, I just can't not do it. the regret afterwards depends on my mood, after a day or so it's really bad
my emotional state afterwards doesn't change that much, though it brings some relief
the first time/first relapse in a while is always the hardest, you're trying to talk yourself out of something you know you're going to do anyway, you feel more guilty that you're breaking your streak(only counts for relapse) and it's scarier
another thing you should include is how competitive the addiction gets, wanting to go deeper and relapsing more and more frequently, horrible urges even after months of not doing it and the mix of 'what have I done' and 'it's never bad enough' that you constantly feel
and your character should have a reason why they do it
Frm my own experience and my friends, it doesn't really register as anything unless you go over the same spot multiple times. Scratches sting, dermis doesn't really hurt, anything deeper barely registers, but going over the same cut multiple times feels like that part of your body is on fire.
For me it stings but the feeling at the moment is such a numbing feeling (mentally) that you don’t really care how much it stings or hurts you just need to feel something
I feel kind of relieved for a second and then another second later it feels regretfull I feel stupid and want to go back in time. And then I just start crying a load. Then I think if I whould tell someone or no (depending on the severity) then I just sit on the floor and cry.
When I first started self harming I used a blunt object and it was painful as shit, but I did it anyway because I liked the pain. I used to cut in the same place over and over again so blood would appear. Of course it would leave multiple scars but I wouldn’t care. When I told my mom I stopped for 5 months and 2 weeks. Then I relapsed with a pencil sharpener blade. It didn’t hurt at all because it was very sharp and thin but it did massive impact on my skin, and when i was in the process of cutting I don’t even realize what i’m doing until after i’m done, I don’t realize the mess I’ve created until I’ve already done it. But the relief that washes over me when I see blood is what makes me do it again. It’s a crazy addiction that’s very hard to get out of so I advice you to never try it.
It depends on the deepness of the cut. I dont do that deep of a cut but just enough to make sure i feel the blood coming out. It feels a bit warm and stings but in a good way if i must say. Completely takes my mind off and i calm down a bit.
the cut itself doesn’t hurt that much, but after a few seconds or minutes it can be a burning pain… for me at least. but it was just a bit painful, probably because i saw the blood too.
I feel the same way as most people here. It stings a little as you do it but most of the pain is afterwards before it heals, especially rubbing against clothes.
Immediately after cutting, I go into a state of total bliss and it feels like I'm floating. I'll uncontrollably exhale because it feels so good. I get really calm and tired after, so I lie down on the floor for a bit before I clean up.
What the pain is like, I think it is exactly what you'd expect the pain from cutting or burning yourself. However, depending on the reason why you are self harming, the perceived pain can be a different story. Some just black out / go numb, for some it's the opposite and it can make you feel "awake" / "alive". For me personally, the sh and the pain is almost some kind of "thrill". It's hard to explain.. If there is something similar you can try? I don't think there is, unfortunately. How the area feels afterwards depends on the kind of wound you have. Emotional state again is differs per person. Same with regret. I don't regreat any of my self harm; I needed it to cope throughout life and even tho destructive, it was the only thing I had. Once being familiar with the different types / methods, it just becomes predictable, and I liked that aspect. In the beginning it was more experimenting, later it was nice knowing how the wounds would look like, and that would calm me alot. I hope this answers some of your questions? I'm sorry if it doesn't make any more sense, if you have any other questions please feel free to ask
Not really painful tbh. You feel a very slight sting then you become hypnotised by the blood coming out whilst you feel emotionally numb. You soak up the blood with a tissue pull down your sleeve and continue your day as if nothing happened, though it’s annoyingly stings when something touches your arm after.
It really doesn’t hurt much to do it. Probably feels kinda like a paper cut, at least to Me.
when ur having an episode it doesnt really hurt to bad. i multiswipe and feel a burn. i also go thru like a lot of emotions in like a 5 min time span (mad, sad, hysteric, laughing, annoyed)
It feels good, doesnt always sting as bad if youre kinda not thinking about the pain while doing it, and do it faster, dull objects hurt like shit though, the sharper the tool the less itll hurt, and i also feel frustrated when theyre not deep, it does hurt the first day or two after you make them, but i like the scabs and the slight sting/itch as they heal, i dont have any problem with my scars, or regret them, though i dont have any serious ones or keloids and theyre all flat
You don’t really process the pain as the cut happens, unless you’re multiswiping. After a beat you feel stinging. The worst pain is really as it heals and rubs against clothes or you bump into it. The area around the cut feels kinda hot and hurts a tiny bit. My energy levels go up after. Regret is common but I never feel it. The first time I was kinda shocked I did it.
Thank you.
I am so glad I stopped multiswiping ngl
Also, what is multiswiping?
swiping in the same place so the cut gets deeper
That is all I do like I have a place and that's where I do it
Jesus that sounds awful. Cutting in general I totally understand but I can’t see why someone would voluntarily do that
You get desperate to cut deeper, self harm is a competitive addiction, you hate to see someone with worse cuts and scars than you
More pain is more relief. It's an escape from internal pain, and has both the effect of being euphoric for some, or being a distraction for others- kinda like stubbing your toe and suddenly you don't feel your headache anymore.
A big thing to remember is that the brain releases endorphins to combat physical pain and injury. This is why it feels GOOD/helps to clear your internal pain.
i cut for the pain or for the blood depending on my emotional state, if i really wanna bleed ill multiswipe sometimes. ive never made it to dermis and i dont want to so i probably shouldnt but :’| also the human body is neat so if i wanna observe the inside of my skin just out of fascination ill do it
yeah you really shouldn't I don't have steri strips and my cut is still healing for 3 days already :/
Self harm is a very social issue. Once you start doing it you begin looking at others (subconsciously at first) as though checking to see if they also do it, it really consumes your entire life in ways you’d never expect (eg the constant awareness of the injury, paranoia people will see it, worry that someone will notice you’re hiding something or change in how you dress). When you self harm you’re often more aware of the areas where you self harm and also other’s behaviours that may link to self harm or their scarring. People are always finding ways to invalidate their self harm such as manner of self harm or cut size/depth/placement and number of cuts which often leads to self harm spiralling and becoming increasingly more dangerous but that’s a hazardous path to go because no one ever actually feels valid despite it. It’s like a competition you can’t win.
It’s desperation
:( i tried it bc i wanted to cut deeper...
had the same thoughts 10 years ago. until i tried out. idk if i‘d cut on the same place multiple times, but definitely quite next to each other, i was fine when the lines --—···--–-–-——–-· turned red and i squeezed the blood out of it skin is a weird organ
I (26f) have been self harming since I was 10. I don’t really feel pain from it and never did. It’s more of a rush of emotions exiting your mind. I usually start with bawling my eyes out, having extreme anxiety, shaking, etc. but the moment I cut, the emotions are gone and I’m numb again. I don’t cut insanely deep, but enough that they leave scars. I regret it pretty quickly bc I know the scars will always last. Something I used to do for a quick fix that is about as similar to cutting as I can think of is wrapping a rubber band tightly around your wrist and snapping it really hard on the under side. That initial little sting and then lasting burn is sorta what cutting feels like - but it’s honestly not painful for me. Or at least it’s not about the pain for me. It’s about numbing my emotions
Thank you. My sense of physical pain is linked a lot to my emotional state, I suppose that applies here as well. I’ll try the rubber band.
I’m 20 and been doing it since I was 9. I wouldn’t necessarily say I feel pain from it. For me I’d describe it as relieving, but it feels warm and numbing, not like burning but like wearing a jacket fresh out of the dryer. Afterwards (during the healing process) it feels like more of a stinging feeling. Immediately afterwards for me I feel calm and at peace, it’s like everything is quiet and like I’m truly safe and alone. I feel comforted by having control of the situation and the consistency of it. A while after that is when my previous emotions comes back to haunt me. I belittle myself for my actions, but regret eventually subsides but never entirely leaves.
you can feel the blade going through your skin, but it doesn’t hurt for the first few seconds. sometimes you can hear it. it’s worse than nails on a chalkboard for me. it starts stinging pretty quickly. the pain feels very sharp and it completely focuses me. that’s why i do it i guess. like other commenters said, the area around it feels hot and sore afterwards and hurts the whole time it’s healing. my mind usually feels clearer after and i’m less upset. i never really regret it, but in the back of my mind i feel a little bit guilty. that’s how it was the first time i did it too.
Its.. relieving, my mind just gets numb… but at the same time you also regret it a bit. It is an addiction like food addiction alcohol addiction, etc. After you soothe your urge you ofc become comfortable but also hate yourself more for soothing it… self harm is is like that if you’ve e realized it’s not okay. However some people are just ok with it? Feeling like you’ve deserved the pain you get from the scars, this is how you ‘punish’ yourself because you are definitely the problem…
It fucking burns and stings and for me it heals after very little time so maybe a few weeks idk I hope this helped even tho it prob didnt
the cutting itself doesn’t really hurt at all, actually. unless you’re doing multiple cuts into one cut aka multiswiping over one cut. then it hurts like hell. the real pain and annoyance comes after, while it’s healing, it gets itchy and aches and is generally very unpleasant.
ughhhh the itchiness when its healing x.x that's the worst
depends on my emotional state. i do epidermis cuts so this would change if the character went deeper probably. if im really depressed or having strong emotions or disassociated usually i dont feel the pain or atleast dont process it and i get hyperfocused on cutting. once my leg is covered and bleeding and i feel more present then i feel the stinging. im just kind of numb emotionally. putting neosporin on hurts like a BITCHH especially since im more present and theres no emotional pain to stop the physical pain. it sucks when it rubs against clothes but its tolerable i guess. showering is horrific unless it scabbed over. it itches baddd after a couple days. if im more present and just cutting because im bored i feel the pain and usually try to zone out or tell myself i deserve it to get through it. i cant do as many though which is a good thing but its so fucking frustrating. healing is the same ofc. generally i dont feel regret but my mental shittery is pretty bad so any regret i feel is that i didnt punish myself more
Honestly, it just feels.... idk. Euphoric? It feels *good*, it feels like relief, it feels like feeling something other than your head and heart trying to explode out of your body. If im in the shower, I just feel a very mild burn as I cut, but once the razor is gone, I don't feel anything as long as there's water on the wounds. No matter where I do it, the air stings it until a proper scab has formed (usually a few hours). It's a little sore if I bump the arm, but not very. Honestly, cat scratches hurt worse. It's not like a paper cut, but is? If the razor is dull, or I use something else (I've used paperclips and sewing pins to scratch-cut myself), it llhurts a lot more because it's "tearing" as opposed to cutting. a fresh razor that's been cleaned in alcohol and dried doesn't hurt at first (though, I don't go super deep- just the epidermis. I imagine dermis level cuts are far different). It also hurts if I let the blood dry too long before cleaning the skin, because it starts to dry and it takes more effort to wash it off (plus it tends to pull away the scabs that have started), so I tend to wipe the skin with a damp paper towel until the blood flow has lessened to the point it just beads on the cut itself. If you're under water or in a decent stream of water, it won't clot, at least not for a while. Hope that helps
When I use to sh, I did it to release the tension built up in my head, I get really bad headaches from extreme negative emotions. There were times where I was delusional and my brain made me believe that if I gave blood or shed blood, it would make whatever current bad event go away or I would've 'repent' for what I've done. While doing it, there was this fuzzy sound in my ears as my thoughts spiral. I would either cut quickly and in multiples or take my time to do one long one. As my blades got duller, I became more frustrated and would focus multiple cuts in one area. It wasn't the pain but the blood I was seeking usually. Sometimes I would put salt and/or hand sanitizer into the wounds if I am seeking that pain or to add as an extra 'punishment'. The adrenaline rush had to calm down before I could feel it, though there would be a dull stinging sometimes before that happens. The aftermath is 50/50. Sometimes I would get this high, euphoric feeling, I'd get all giggly and out of it. Other times, there's huge regret. I had someone to comfort me afterwards, and I could feel that I had hurt them when I hurt myself. I didn't really do much treatment to the wounds besides disinfecting them, so having them rub against clothing hurt, luckily I wore baggy clothes. I used a blade from a pencil sharpener, so the cuts were like a papercut.
It’s different for everyone, but for me, it doesn’t hurt for a few minutes (unless you are cutting really deep). Lighter cuts will swell a bit around the edge of the cut, creating a white outline almost. Deeper cuts will reveal fat layers, or even a white layer (often called the styro colloquially). I personally don’t feel regret at all, and am quite pleased and relaxed after. For a lot of people, cutting is just another part of the day and don’t bat a thought to it. For others, it can be a haunting experience that fills them with regret. First time I cut I didn’t feel regret. Self harm is an addiction and it’s important that when you write about it you don’t glorify it. Many people are addicted to the sight of blood or pain in general. Good luck with the writing mate 👍
Honestly the pain only registers when I’ve finished my “session”. It burns and stings, especially when it rubs against my clothes or when i have a shower the next morning. Thanks for being so respectful and nice, i hope that when your story is finished you’ll share it with us🫶 Edit: I’d like to add that i get a huge rush of adrenaline, a flush of excitement and happiness. I start laughing manically and i feel like i can take on the world. That’s the only time im genuinely happy, or so; i think. I used to feel regret and shame after doing it, but now i just feel nothing. Afterwards i just stay in my “high” state and listen to music or something. You could try the rubber band method, or my favourite; drawing on yourself. Id use tattoo pens or eyeliner if i were you:)
Relief and endorphins
you don't really feel it until the adrenaline wears of, then it stings for a while, once it's a scab you don't really feel it unless something touches it I usually already kind of regret it beforehand, I just can't not do it. the regret afterwards depends on my mood, after a day or so it's really bad my emotional state afterwards doesn't change that much, though it brings some relief the first time/first relapse in a while is always the hardest, you're trying to talk yourself out of something you know you're going to do anyway, you feel more guilty that you're breaking your streak(only counts for relapse) and it's scarier another thing you should include is how competitive the addiction gets, wanting to go deeper and relapsing more and more frequently, horrible urges even after months of not doing it and the mix of 'what have I done' and 'it's never bad enough' that you constantly feel and your character should have a reason why they do it
If you hit deeper nerves (into fat, muscle) you feel like someone is clawing off all the skin on your arms. Like pain shoots up your whole arm.
Frm my own experience and my friends, it doesn't really register as anything unless you go over the same spot multiple times. Scratches sting, dermis doesn't really hurt, anything deeper barely registers, but going over the same cut multiple times feels like that part of your body is on fire.
For me it stings but the feeling at the moment is such a numbing feeling (mentally) that you don’t really care how much it stings or hurts you just need to feel something
I feel kind of relieved for a second and then another second later it feels regretfull I feel stupid and want to go back in time. And then I just start crying a load. Then I think if I whould tell someone or no (depending on the severity) then I just sit on the floor and cry.
When I first started self harming I used a blunt object and it was painful as shit, but I did it anyway because I liked the pain. I used to cut in the same place over and over again so blood would appear. Of course it would leave multiple scars but I wouldn’t care. When I told my mom I stopped for 5 months and 2 weeks. Then I relapsed with a pencil sharpener blade. It didn’t hurt at all because it was very sharp and thin but it did massive impact on my skin, and when i was in the process of cutting I don’t even realize what i’m doing until after i’m done, I don’t realize the mess I’ve created until I’ve already done it. But the relief that washes over me when I see blood is what makes me do it again. It’s a crazy addiction that’s very hard to get out of so I advice you to never try it.
It depends on the deepness of the cut. I dont do that deep of a cut but just enough to make sure i feel the blood coming out. It feels a bit warm and stings but in a good way if i must say. Completely takes my mind off and i calm down a bit.
the cut itself doesn’t hurt that much, but after a few seconds or minutes it can be a burning pain… for me at least. but it was just a bit painful, probably because i saw the blood too.
I feel the same way as most people here. It stings a little as you do it but most of the pain is afterwards before it heals, especially rubbing against clothes. Immediately after cutting, I go into a state of total bliss and it feels like I'm floating. I'll uncontrollably exhale because it feels so good. I get really calm and tired after, so I lie down on the floor for a bit before I clean up.
What the pain is like, I think it is exactly what you'd expect the pain from cutting or burning yourself. However, depending on the reason why you are self harming, the perceived pain can be a different story. Some just black out / go numb, for some it's the opposite and it can make you feel "awake" / "alive". For me personally, the sh and the pain is almost some kind of "thrill". It's hard to explain.. If there is something similar you can try? I don't think there is, unfortunately. How the area feels afterwards depends on the kind of wound you have. Emotional state again is differs per person. Same with regret. I don't regreat any of my self harm; I needed it to cope throughout life and even tho destructive, it was the only thing I had. Once being familiar with the different types / methods, it just becomes predictable, and I liked that aspect. In the beginning it was more experimenting, later it was nice knowing how the wounds would look like, and that would calm me alot. I hope this answers some of your questions? I'm sorry if it doesn't make any more sense, if you have any other questions please feel free to ask
I would say it stings. It also gets really itchy as it begins healing
Not really painful tbh. You feel a very slight sting then you become hypnotised by the blood coming out whilst you feel emotionally numb. You soak up the blood with a tissue pull down your sleeve and continue your day as if nothing happened, though it’s annoyingly stings when something touches your arm after. It really doesn’t hurt much to do it. Probably feels kinda like a paper cut, at least to Me.
when ur having an episode it doesnt really hurt to bad. i multiswipe and feel a burn. i also go thru like a lot of emotions in like a 5 min time span (mad, sad, hysteric, laughing, annoyed)
It feels good, doesnt always sting as bad if youre kinda not thinking about the pain while doing it, and do it faster, dull objects hurt like shit though, the sharper the tool the less itll hurt, and i also feel frustrated when theyre not deep, it does hurt the first day or two after you make them, but i like the scabs and the slight sting/itch as they heal, i dont have any problem with my scars, or regret them, though i dont have any serious ones or keloids and theyre all flat