My friend cuts herself and she takes it as a joke. One day at lunch, she came up to me and showed me her arm. It was a scabby with about 15 3in. cuts. She asked me with a smile on her face, "Do you think this is going to get infected?" The school guidance counselor already knew about her problem, and so did her mom. So I didn't have anyone that I could really tell about her problem to.

well this problem develops when things are bottled up in you're insides and when you really dont know how to express youreself so it becomes difficult and you become to cut you'rself for example i use to cut myself i started when i was thirteen by time i turned fourteen i had 22 cuts because anytime anything went wrong i beegan to cut my self and became a daily rutine and i begant to realize myself that that was a sin i was drowning in my own sorrrow so my advice to those who are still into this thing dnt go to a psych itz not gonna help it all starts with you and you inner self-esteem so help you're friend s of course i am still tempted but i now kno how to ovewrcome my obstacles

Gaby, it's impossible to tell the complete circumstances involved here. A smile could mean so many things, be interpreted so many ways. Did you know people smile to hide awkwardness sometimes? [/sarcasm] The only way to know for sure is to see this event in person, not hear a second-hand account of it, which we are doing, and judging based on that.

you should tell her to stop but she might be hurt inside so you should talk to her and ask her why she does it so if it is something deep you should definetely try to help her cope with her problems

She could just be trying to be herself around you because she trusts you. Some people cope by making things a joke. That doesn't mean she wants attention. With the school and her parents knowing she probably gets more attention than she wants.

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Originally posted by Shade:

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if shes showing you shes probely doing it for attention.

That's not always true. How is she showing it? For what reason? Don't just pay attention to "her showing you," watch her mannerisms, and how she presents it. Sometimes, people are looking for help. After all, the best way to find help from that problem is first showing someone...

..well if she takes it as a joke, and showed lhoraline with a smile on her face, then I don't think she's wanting to get help, just attention.

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if shes showing you shes probely doing it for attention.

That's not always true. How is she showing it? For what reason? Don't just pay attention to "her showing you," watch her mannerisms, and how she presents it. Sometimes, people are looking for help. After all, the best way to find help from that problem is first showing someone...

I second Karlie16.

if shes showing you shes probely doing it for attention. i used to cut but i kept it hidden really well, from what i've seen when people have good resons for cutting they usualy dont want people to know. i mean i remember how ashamed i was whenever someone found out that i did.so if you want to help her you could probely just try to get her to find less dangours ways of attention seeking

She seems to want attention is all.

My best friend started cutting herself a year ago. I didn't find out until months after she even started, she would wear long sleeved shirts, my point being, a real cutter, wouldn't go around advertising that they do so.

Well, instead of trying to find someone to tell it to, try and help yourself.

Take a minute to try and sit down with her, try everything you can to just get even a second to talk to her. Tell her it hurts YOU when she cuts herself, and that it doesnt help her at all. And that she may find it all a game, but its a very serious game if you think about it. Try and work with her to stop cutting herself. Summer is coming soon, stay with her for awhile and keep an eye on here. Take away everything she has to cut herself with and give her a journal to write how she feels instead.

Good luck =)

wat u guys may call a phase probaly dnt undastand da phsycial need ive been der its an addiction which brings u dwn until u feel der is no way out but to kill yourslef cutting is caused by stress and problems which get worse and worse becoz of cutting i nearly killed myslef 15 times it anit just a phase its an insecurity sorry bt im rite tasha i dnt mean to be arsey

Dear Lhoraline:
Well, it looks like you have yourself a situation here. My friend actually was going through the same "phase" [the best term I can come up with on the spot, sorry if it offends anyone]..& she did it for attetion. She cheated on her boyfriend..& got dumped & was humilated because she knew it wasn't right. She had to get more attention and she wanted to "fit in" with the druggy kids - & she was. You've got to let your friend find herself. If she knows that one day she may hit a major artrey and kill herself, you've got to let her know that you care enough to want her to stop. I told my friend - if you're going to keep this up, i'm seriously never going to talk to you again...& that meant a lot to her, knowing that someone cared enough about her..

- Fallon FakeOut
[Sorry if there are misspelled words, I am a terrible speller!]

as a cutter myslef i personally think maybe your friend does it for attention shes craving this spotlight because maybe theres something wrong and to the fact that people knoe and nothing is being done is very sad she will contintue doing it till someone will stop her