Why does hurting myself make me feel better? Should I stop hurting myself or is it the right thing to do?

Hurting myself helps focus on the physical pain, instead of the mental pain. It is not right to do.

Hey! So sorry to hear that you’re hurting yourself. It’s incredibly tough and I can’t imagine what you’re dealing with. Hurting ourselves can make us feel better because for a number of reasons. We may feel that we have to punish ourselves for being hurt/upset/alive, we may feel that it is the only way to feel something as we might be numb, etc. We may feel that it is the only way to gain control over our lives, whichever aspect of it that may be. Hurting ourselves is something that may make us feel like we are able to *do* something. We have an impact, we matter. And that can make us feel better ❤️

It felt better for me because I had difficulty regulating my emotions at the time. You should stop hurting yourself because it has lasting damage to your body and there is also the risk of infection.

I understand the feeling, but it's never a solution, nor is it the right thing to do. If you're hurting yourself, I suggest you see a professional for help and any intervention. I may not know you personally, but I'm worried for anyone out there that is in trouble and needs help, so I hope you start feeling better soon!

You know yourself better than anyone. There are some really great resources about self harm on our website. I'd encourage you to look there for guidance. If you are thinking of seriously harming yourself, please seek professional help.

Hurting yourself is never the right thing to do. The line between pain and pleasure can be very thin for some people so we hurt ourselves to feel close to happiness. This is not a happiness replacement though and it's best to fill the space in our minds where we want to cut with something really rewarding like volunteer work or something. :)

Hurting yourself never helps in the long run. It cause emotional and physical damage. There's a number of reasons why it could make you feel better; it's something that you can control, it brings a sense of relief, and it gives you one thing to focus on.

Hurting yourself (also known as self-harm) can often make people feel better in the immediate moment. When you hurt yourself you replace the negative feelings you are experiencing with a behavior that lets you get rid of those negative feelings. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, or you are harming yourself, I encourage you to reach out and talk to someone; a friend, a family member, a mental health worker, or someone here on 7 Cups. Self-harm is not a healthy way to manage your feelings, even though it may feel it in the beginning. Speak to someone you trust, there is help.

Hurting yourself is never the right thing to do, and in order to best answer this question I will refer to self-harm as a drug. It is addicting to the body, it releases endorphins that make you feel 'good' for a short period of time, which causes you to feel a little better- but not for long. When you are experiencing this endorphin rush, you are teaching yourself to enjoy the pain of self-harm. There are many other ways to release endorpins without harming your body. Exercise, chocolate, certain smells, music, spicy foods, laughter, and sex all release endorphins that are much healthier to the human body than self-harm.

Hurting myself, was not something that I enjoyed. As I chose to improve my whole being, I decide to remember what makes me feel better, mentally, psychologically, emotionally & physically. It demanded strong-self discipline traits, to which I had no idea I had until I purposely chose to look inside of myself for what makes me smile and feel good overall.