Does cutting for only a few months and stopping make me any less of a self-harmer?

In my personal experience, cutting for however long and having the strength to stop shows that you’re getting better for yourself. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been cutting for or how long it took you to stop. You put yourself in a position to get better, and you should be so proud to say that you had the strength to overcome what most see as impossible. This does not make you any less of a self harmer. This just means that you found the courage to drop your weapon and give life another try. I hope you continue to do that for yourself.

Having self harmed for any period of time is incredibly difficult to deal with, both during and after that time. It doesn't matter if you only actively self harmed for a few months. Every struggle has its impact on a person, and this will still impact you even after you've recovered. There's no minimum to struggling. It's also important to remember that recovery is always a good thing, even if it's baby steps. I'm proud of you for stopping. I hope you continue to stay strong and resist the urge to self harm from here forward. We're here for you.

No, It does not make you less of a self harmer, I used to try and make myself believe the same thing, you are very brave for stopping but I also want to clarify that it is also perfectly okay if you relapse because that is sometimes part of the recovery process. You are strong and you can fight this you were still intentionally hurting yourself, it does not matter how long you were doing it. since cutting isn't the only self-harm method and the urge can come back. I only cut for a few weeks and then stopped, but I still got urges over two years later and I still struggle with other self-harm methods. I think it's less about the method or amount of time and the fact that you have that habit/attitude.

I do not think it is important whether or not you are "more" or "less" of a self-harmer. Who you are is not defined by your self-harm. Your self-harm is a coping strategy not a piece of your identity. I would encourage you not to assimilate self-harming into your concept of who you are as a person. You have so many more wonderful qualities and interesting flaws that make you who you are. I would also say that stopping self-harming is a wonderful step and congratulate you on your achievement. You should be, and I hope you are, proud of yourself.

i would have to say no. cutting on purpose even if its only once a year is still self harming. Even if you dont think of its as self harm it is and should be treated by a doctor.

No, it does not. Even if you have only cut yourself once or twice, it means that you were in the mindset to hurt yourself in the first place. Although you may not be self-harming at the moment, you have in the past, and people who have self-harmed may do it again as they are more acquainted with the process. Just as cancer may strike once, be dealt with, and then come back. Or, as an addiction to smoking or alcohol may come back, there is always the chance that a habit such as this one will return. It is best to use a self-help guide, maybe even the one provided here at 7 Cups, to best deal with the habit. This is the guide that 7 Cups provides for self-harm. I haven't read it myself. https://www.7cups.com/self-harm/

I am reading this as in you only cut for a few months and then hit the road to recovery. Self-harm is self-harm no matter how long someone has done said thing, before. You can do it for a month or few days etc and you are still a self-harmer. It's never a competition as to whos more valid than another or who has self-harmed more than another person. Therefore, you are NOT "any less of a self-harmer" because you only cut for few months. I don't like how people have turned serious things such as self-harm, into competitions. You are valid.

of course not. what you went through is extremely valid. You can identify however you want. self harm is on a spectrum. infact, it does not always include cutting. Self harm can be physical or emotional and there are many subcategories within. Those categories have spectrums and everyone on that spectrum is valid. But again, it is put to you if you want to take on the title. Taking on the title can sometimes be really validating, but putting a title on it can also be really anxiety inducing. Do whatever works best for you. Best of luck!

No. It is perfectly normal to compare our self harm habits with others, but there is not minimum threshold that determines if you should or should not get help. One thing I would ask ourself is why we think it potentially could make us less of a self harmer. Maybe we could ask the question of, “What is a self harmer?” Once we have explored those questions and have been curious about them, we should consider adapting coping skills. Kati Morton does a really great job of providing coping skills in her YouTube channel. If you look up 25 Coping skill, it should come up!

Nope! Self harm is the act of hurting yourself on purpose, how you do it, how often you do it doesn’t mean anything, you’re still a self harmer even if you do it once a year for example, how often it happens doesn’t mean anything, you’re still valid and your struggles still matter.