"you bleed just to know you're alive"

i have something i want to voice. so, here i go:

i hate when people who cut are misunderstood!!! it drives me soo stinking nuts! i mean, most don't do it for attention! they do it because they are hurting and broken and need a way to release pain! even when they are suicidal, they don't really want to die. they just want to be free of the pain inside of them that they can't release; the pain that constantly nags at them! cutting feels good for a while.

it's a cry for help! it's a cry to be normal. and for a while, they feel that freedom; they feel the release. it helps them deal when things get rough. it helps them focus. it helps them think clearly!

the ones who don't do it for attention hide the cutting as best they can. they put it in places you'd never expect them to be! they do it under their breasts, on their thighs, and sometimes in worse places! they hurt to be painless. they hide it with long sleeves, jeans, and fake smiles.

how do i know all of this? because i did it! i cut to not be so stressed; to feel like i was alive. i didn't want people to know but they had to or i'd never have been set free! i'm not saying that cutting is ok or acceptable! i'm just saying that if you don't ask them why they do it, don't judge them. don't accuse them of searching for attention! don't look down on them!

give them a chance to tell their story. be open and offer a helping hand and accountability! i want to leave you with the lyrics to a goo-goo doll's song:
"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming Or the moment of truth in your lies When everything feels like the movies Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive."