why does cutting make me feel better but then bad afterwards?

In the moment you may feel a desperate need for relief from the situation that is clouding your judgement and thoughts and you are willing to cut to feel the relief you are looking for. Although in the moment you might feel as if cutting is proving the relief that you were looking for, This feeling you are receiving is only temporary and does not last. It is only masking the problems/situations you are trying to run away/get relief from but the troubles that triggered the reasoning for the cutting still will remain after that temporary feeling of relief is gone.

Cutting is no different than eating disorders, unhealthy sexual experiences, alcohol or drugs etc. to cover your feelings, or numb the thoughts racing through your head. It’s often “easier” to suppress our feelings rather than having to feel the pain and sadness they cause. Unfortunately when we resort to any negative or self sabotaging behaviors, for the moment we may find release until it’s over and we’re back to facing reality and the feelings that come with it. It’s important that we face our problems head on and acknowledge the feelings we have. Only then can we learn healthy ways to deal with them, stop harmful behaviours and begin living happier, more “true to ourself” lives

As someone who used to cut, I wondered and continue to wonder the same thing. There are many biological components to cutting; it releases certain chemicals in our brains that cause us to feel certain reactions: that "good" feeling you mentioned and the "bad" feeling afterward. I am here for you and I encourage you to reach out to the Self-Harm Recovery subforum; lots of great people and support in there. Also, listeners are here for you any time you're in need of someone to hear you out and not judge. You're taking steps each day to get through this and each step matters and you matter.

Cutting is usually used as a coping mechanism. When you cut yourself, you don't realise the actual harm in self-harming, you might do it as a way to relieve pent up emotions or stress. Pent up emotions and stress might make you feel as if you're losing sight of yourself, and for the moment, cutting seems freeing because you think you can control it. After a while though, the weight of what you actually did hits you. You relieved your stress and emotions, so after harming yourself you might feel bad for doing it because you can't actually comprehend why it seemed like a good idea in the first place.

I have felt the same way, you are not alone. For me, it is related to the stress and the pain I feel inside that I want to release somehow. When I cut, it distracts my mind and feels like it released my pain. When I calm down, I feel bad for doing it. Now, I have realised that there are other ways to calm myself down and I practice that now. I know how it feels and it took time for me to realise that I can deal with this in another way without hurting myself. I practice relaxation exercises or walk around a bit until I calm down.

Guilt's the main reason. Guilt and stress. When you're stressed out or overwhelmed by all of the strong emotions, sometimes focusing on that one point can make you feel better. Of course, afterwards once your mind is in a better place, you realize what you've done to yourself and begin to feel guilt. Another thing that's happened to me is that I'll harm myself when I feel numb. I'm so desperate for emotion that I'll hurt myself to get it. Afterwards I can get angry at myself for doing something like that. Self harm affects tons of people differently, so if your experience is different, that's totally okay. But cutting yourself isn't the best option, so please get help

I used to self harm when I was at my numbest mentally. When I couldn’t feel any emotional pain anymore I inflicted physical pain upon myself. Once feeling that physical pain a wave of emotional pain would hit me and I’d feel everything I’d been blind to. For a few moments I’d feel better. But, I’d then realise what I’d done, that I’d have to hide another cut, that I couldn’t wear the shorts I wanted to or the tshirt I had in mind. I’d then be slapped with the stigma of mental health, I didn’t want anyone to know or see what I had done. Ultimately cutting made me feel better at first because it was a way of releasing emotions but afterwards? When I then faced the reality of it again and the fact I’d have to shelter myself away because I didn’t want anyone to know what I’d done I felt even worse than I did before cutting.

When you cut (or hurt yourself) there is a rush-release of chemical neurotransmitters that "overshadows" the emotional pain you are feeling in that moment. Unfortunately that release can't last forever and your body needs to readjust after that so when your neurotransmitters go back to baseline you tend to feel worse than you initially did. Hurting yourself is not the best way to deal with overwhelming emotions but there are some strategies you can use to help deal with the emotional pain and that will also result in calming results without the "bump" afterwards. Feel free to message if you would like to talk about it. All the best for you.

Most people like the feeling of cutting for many different reasons. Some people think they deserve it, others like how it allows them to feel something again. But most of the time people don't feel "in control" when they do it. That's why they feel bad after it. Because they realize how this action is going to affect them and the people around them. A lot of people feel guilty about it. Mostly because they don't want people to know, but at the same time they are reaching out for help. Also they are embarrassed when people see them. Most people see cutting as a sign of weakness, which makes it horrifying to show them in public. There are many reasons as to why cutting is a horrible thing, but when you're in a dark place, it can be a good feeling in the moment.

Often times self-harm is a way for someone to expression an emotion they are not able to communicate or recognize. The bad feeling afterwards is the realization that there is no relief from that emotion. Self-harm creates a brief moment of reward. Alternatives to self-harm that may create that similar relief is making a marker and scribbling on yourself or doing that to a piece of paper. You may also rip/ tear a piece of paper. This way you are diverting the action to something that is not yourself, but gives you the same feeling. I would say for you to reach out to resources to helping to cope with any emotions or thoughts you may be having that is causing you to self-harm.