[female, age 20, began to SI at age 17]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleOh, yes. My older sister: she was mad and wanted me to stop. I told a handful of people in high school, like the social worker they made me see, my shrink, my best friend (my best friend cried and tried to understand). The high school people made a big deal about it and made it even worse. Recently, I told my boyfriend when he asked about the scars, and he was like, "oh. Well I guess it's your arms."
[female, age 19, began to SI at age 15]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — Gabrielleactually people found out about it when I first did it at the hospital, and therapist find out about it from my old records; my old high school counselor, though, was just incredibly trustworthy, and I felt she wouldn't judge me... I needed someone to understand me without getting angry or immediately telling my mom, and she was the one.
[female, age 24, began to SI at age 16 1/2]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleI'm open about it. My best friend knows that I still do it; other people, including my family, think that it's over. I was never ashamed, for some reason. I told because I was scared I was going crazy.
[female, age 16, began to SI at age 15]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleI've told my best friend, who was curious about an old scar on my hand, and also my brother. My friend was obviously quite upset, and I wasn't ready to deal with it at the time, so that created an uncomfortably situation for a while. She never brings it up, and I never bring it up, but every once in a while I'll give her a poem I've written or something, but if it still bothers her I don't know. The people I've told have been important to me, and I didn't want to come up with a lame lie that's easy to see through. The people I brush off with "it's a long story" catch me off guard.
[female, age 19, began to SI at age 15]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleMy boyfriend is the only one who knows. I don't think he totally understands, but he's supportive. He confessed that he had a serious problems with controlling his aggression. He'd beat one of his ex-girlfriends and was terrified to tell me. He's never done anything to me because he's worked very hard to learn to deal with his anger, but he was afraid I'd hate him for it. After he'd told me all of this, I felt like we were such similar creatures. The only difference was that I took it out on myself. That's when I showed him the scars on my arms.
[female, age 41, began to SI at age 16]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleYes. Several of my closest friends know, as do my therapist and pastor. (I told because) I knew that I was not coping with problems in an appropriate manner and needed to get help because the SI was getting worse.
[female, age 28, began to SI at around age 13]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleI told people in the State Hospital, but a lot of them SI'ed too, so I didn't feel bad about it really. I haven't told anybody else, the people who do know have seen the scars or cuts and know what I'm doing, but I didn't tell them.
[female, age 15, began to SI at age 12-13]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleWell one of my friends (lyn) found out because I had a whole bunch of cuts down my arm and I told one of my really good friends (justin) that has been through a lot of stuff similar to this.
[female, age 23, began to SI in 6th grade]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — GabrielleI have told out of guilt (my supervisors) and out of need to have someone who understands. I think sometimes I am also testing my friendships...I tend to believe that people who I care about end up leaving me. So I think sometimes I assume that this SI thing I do will so disgust, revolt, scare, etc. them that they will also leave me. So I guess I am trying to push them away before they can leave ME.
[female, age 18, began to SI at age 12]
Fri, 2009-04-03 23:33 — Gabrielle[No.] I'm just so afraid I'll end up in a psycho ward with my mother crying and looking so haggard. I feel that I have way to much of a future to mess it up with this.
