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.

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.