How do people view self-harm and the people who do it?

Some people view it as the person being weak and unable to control their emotions. But the truth is that when you self harm it isn't because you're weak; its because you were strong for too long.

My opinion (based on my experience) is, that a lot of people judge people who have problems with sef-harm really badly. They think they are silly, want more attention, emphasise their problem , are mentally disturbed or sometimes that they are just stupid emos or something like that.

There is a huge misconception about people who engage in self-harming behaviors. Many people believe that those who do these types of behaviors are only seeking attention. In reality, there are many emotional issues involved in self-harming. People who self-harm are most likely going through deep, emotional struggles and do not know better ways to cope with how they feel. It is an error to assume that people who self-harm just want tobe "the center of attention".

Some people think that it's stupid and the people who do it are looking for attention, but others think that people who do it need help and feel sympathy for them. I feel bad for those who do it, because to feel so stressed out that you feel you need to ruin your beautiful body with scars or burns. I care for all of you

I've self harmed since I was thirteen and though I'm nearing thirty now, I am still a self injurer. I guess I can only tell you what I've experienced from other people who don't SI. People usually become worried about you or afraid of you (only because they don't understand). There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to people who hurt themselves, especially via the media. They may mistakenly believe it is to get attention or mean that these people could hurt others and that SI is a violent behaviour. Though the reality of this is upsetting I know that people who have loved ones who self harm or are themselves self harmers can actively change this perception for the better. Personally, I find if I understand the views of those who don't understand self mutiliation which is usually part of depression or other emotional problems, it is easier for me to talk to them and explain how they can help. I've seen a lot of people find huge relief in being told honestly what something they don't understand is, by someone who experiences it first hand.

I have very noticeable scars from cutting that I don't bother to hide with clothing. Some people have responded with disgust, which can feel really hurtful, but for the most part people don't comment on it. If it gets brought up in conversation, people tend to simply say that they don't understand it, and ask for a little perspective. More people understand than you might suspect, because many people struggle with it and also many people hide it.

people think self harm as an act of stupidity and vulgarity and the people who do self harm as psychos

From my experience, people tend to be quite negative towards it because they can't understand why people do it. They tend to see this as attention seeking behavior that doesn't deserve help and that only white, spoilt, teenage girls do it which is obviously not the case. I've also noticed that people tend to think your stupid for putting scars on a perfectly good body or that you are a violent person and try to avoid you. It's also seen as a weakness and like you're unstable.

All lot of people would just go "oh, they're suicidal" but there are other people (Exp. Therapists, self-harmers, previous self harmers) all of those people would care. We care here and we'll listen to you about it.

People who don't self harm see it as a way to call the attention and the find it stupid and unnecessary, people who do it see it as a way to get their problems and everything out, like an escape from everything.

I'll be honest, before I started doing it myself and before depression hit me, I didn't understand it at all. I didn't understand how someone could intentionally hurt themselves, I didn't understand why they would. I never saw it as attention seeking like some people may think. I was always sad about it, that they were hurting and I couldn't even comprehend how much.

As someone who has never done self-harm, I am not certain that I am qualified to speak on this. But from my perspective, self-harm is a temporary solution to a variety of emotions including anxiety, fear, apathy, and self-loathing. Unfortunately, self-harm often feels like it works. People who do self-harm often assume they are out of options and are sometimes in circumstances that far exceed what a person's brain should be able to handle. I think people who do self-harm are at their wit's end with their problems, and that instead of shaming them for trying to cope with it in such a violent way, we should reach out to them and let them know that there are other solutions available. Sometimes self-harm is a kind of addiction, something people know is bad for them but have trouble stopping. Again, the correct response should be compassion towards the individual and assurance that things will get better.

sometimes, people see those who self harm as attention seekers or something among those lines. For those who never had an experience or some kind of depression, it's just plain weird why someone that is already sad would add psychical pain to it. But of course, there are people who understand and try to help the ones who self hard, unfortunately those people are few, compared to the number of people who criticize.

Some people may have negative views on self harm and may not believe it but I truly believe if you have never been through it then you will never know the feeling one has when they are in that mind state

It depends on the person... If that person is your friend and understand you they will feel bad for you and will try to get you to stop. To strangers self-harm might appear to be scary for them.

Most people think it is stupid, but you'd have to be there to know. It's hard to heal sometimes, inside and out, but if you do self-harm, I promise you will overcome it one day :)

I view people who self-harm as someone who gave up and who was consumed by despair. They were strong, but they didn't stay strong. Now, they live with daily reminders of that fact, that they didn't stay strong, with scars...

I think that people see self harm as a way to seek attention, but it is really a way of coping with feelings and depression.

In my experience self harm is something people do when they feel upset or stressed and are looking for an outlet. I think people who do this need someone to talk to about there problems.

Different people view self harm different ways some people think its "disgusting" and others feel pity, the people that self harm do it because they feel like that is their only way out, but its not. i promise you that.

Self harm and the views from people that do not understand it, from my experience can be very polerizing, my father and most of my family cant understand why i would cut, my father is still in denial about it. but my friends although msot do not, they understand the compulsion to do something and not always have control over it.

Some people view it as just attention-seeking. Some people view it as someone being crazy for doing such thing. It honestly isn't either of those things. It's more of just a way of relief for the person. It doesn't make you crazy and it doesn't mean that you want to commit suicide.

There are sorts and sorts of people. Some people view this with bad eyes because they don't understand. They find this irrelevant. These people lack of compassion. Unfortunately there are just a few kind people who are still kind and don't judge a person by his scars.

I think a lot of people don't understand it; how and why could a person possibly harm themselves on purpose? It took a long time for me to realize that other people DIDN'T have urges to self harm, unlike me. I imagine that the more ignorant spectrum of people think they self harmers are obviously mentally unstable, that they're acting out, that it's a phase. I'm thankful no one has said that to me though.

Everyone's different, so everyone's views will also be different. Some people view self-harm as purely cutting, others understand self-harm to be more complex and involve a variety of other ways. It just depends on how much they know about self-harm. The more they know, the less stereotypes they carry. As for how people view others who self-harm, it also varies. Some view them as attention-seeking, whereas others feel empathy and love and care for them. Others yet feel confused by it, or triggered by it. Others yet can feel disgust or ashamed, or uncomfortable.

Really and truly, there is no one way that people respond to this. Everyone has different experiences and opinions on it and the people who engage in this behavior. It can be hard for people suffering. If you are ever being made fun of for self harm, the one piece of advice i would give would be to treat it like you would any other type of bullying. That means that in the school or workplace, go to someone in authority and report the situation to them. But all in all, never let the bullies hurt you or make things worse.

People who have never experienced depression do not understand why anyone would want to harm themselves. Most believe that it is in our human nature to love ourselves, to do anything possible to prevent yourself from getting hurt. It is our bodies natural reflex, why we pull our hand away from something that is hot, etc. From the outside people view self harm as a terrible disease that effects too many people who have feelings of hopelessness and despair. They want to help you but they do not know how or what to say that can make it better. They want to help the person through their anger, sadness, and pain, but they are not sure how to make it go away.