In my idealized world I would have liked to have a kind and understanding person help me through it...but I've encountered everything else but that, haha. I've had people that merely treat it like any other wound; that speak of "it" and "you" rather distantly. I've seen sarcastic people that joked a lot about it. I've seen therapists who was very serious and grave about it, probably reacting from their own fear. I've had others make a huge deal and played the guilt card. But I prefer the people that were calm and collected over the emotional ones. The reason know all this is because few years ago there was this huge intervention from many different people to help me...that's how I got to experience so many different personalities trying to "fix" me.
the last time, once the administrators at my university found out I had done it, they made me go to the ER to be psychiatrically evaluated, the scratches were just superficial (as usual); the doctors just covered my scratches with gauze and didn't even say anything to me about it, the person who evaluated me seemed unfeeling and bored, and couldn't understand that it was not a suicide attempt... I ended up refusing inpatient and outpatient treatment with the hospital.
I have. I had to get stitches in my wrist once. The medical people I dealt with were all very caring and gentle. I felt very safe with them, and they were condesending or making me feel little or stupid. There have been many other times when i have been sent to doctors for one thing, but then they noticed the wounds or scars. I had an already frightening and horrible hosptialization for an anxiety attack get the added stress of doctors bringing up the fresh burns on my wrist.
I had to tell my doctor when i had my physical. She was REALLY COOL about it, and i was so glad she didnt freak out. She took it really well, and she didnt tell my mom that i had cut, she told me that i to make the decisions when it came to this. Other than that, other nurses and doctors either pretend that cuts and scars cover my legs, or they cringe.
Yes actually I had to go to the hospital once because I cut an artery and needed stitching. The med. aide was actually very nice, she said we all make mistakes, and that when she was young she had bulimia, so as long as I understand what I'm doing in the hospital, I don't need to be lectured.
