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mmaestro
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22 Jan 2008, 12:14 pm

It seems, anecdotally, to be quite common. I certainly did as a teen, and have had the urge in times of extreme stress, although I've been able to resist almost completely since I was out of High School. I have read that one of the reasons Aspergians self-harm is to create an emotional response in themselves - because external stimuli so seldom have as great an effect on Aspergians as they do on NTs, but we still *need* to experience certain things, when we're hurting or in emotional pain, to accentuate that feeling and allow it to be experienced fully, we'll do something that increases the experience. For instance, for years, nomatter how badly I was hurt emotionally, I couldn't cry without adding physical pain into the mix, which I did by cutting or scratching. Sometimes, you need to cry to get the emotion out, and the increase in the feelings by bringing in the physical made that a lot easier.
There's also the stimming aspect (which is also sort of stress related), and I'd guess just good-old self-loathing for some of us, as well as a destructive loss of control during meltdowns. Lots of reasons. I think the physical manifestation of an internal urge is really what it's all about at its heart, though.


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sarahstilettos
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22 Jan 2008, 2:15 pm

Quote:
I sometimes consider using an electric sander so the scar doesnt look so deliberate. You know lines on the left forearm. I don't want to sscar it over to hurt myself rather to hide my past mistake.


I keep thinking of getting a really big tattoo to cover up all those telling pinky-white lines on my left arm. Daft idea? Probably. But I do get sick of watching people stare at them. (They never ask me, of course, and I wouldn't want them to).

Obviously I can only speak for myself, but for me... yes. I've done pretty much everything people describe as self harm, and since I was very young, (I was at junior school when I remember hitting my legs very hard the first time). I am a lot calmer these days. If anyone wants to talk to me about it feel free to message me.

I would love there to be more information about the link between ASD's and self harm. I was interested in the idea that it was a form of stimming, but no theory has really explained my self harm impulses to me yet. I am still quite incapable of explaining succinctly why I do it if asked.



ebec11
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22 Jan 2008, 4:19 pm

Jellybean wrote:
Don't ask me why (I don't know) but when I get REALLY stressed or meltdown, I end up scratching my wrists until they bleed. I hit my head hard and punch various parts of my body.

I do the exact same thing, but I refuse to make myself bleed. That's my limit, luckily.



Nothingness
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23 Jan 2008, 7:10 am

I started selfharming when I was 12. I've been doing it for two years now, and I got no plans of stopping it....... I cut my arms or my legs (I've stopped cutting my legs now actually) or I put on salt and then ice so it becomes a burndamage. I used to do this daily before I got locked up, and now I'm back to doing it almost everyday since I descoverd the ice-salt thing so I can do it at the hospital too. I have AS.



Lightning88
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23 Jan 2008, 7:45 am

The last thing I would ever do is self-harm. I am very hyper-sensitive when it comes to pain (ironically, no sensory issues though) and even just thinking about the pain I'd suffer is too much for me to bear. I once passed out in fear I was going to get hurt. Yeah, it's that bad.



AliceinOz
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23 Jan 2008, 8:05 am

Self harming can be addictive. I've got bad scarring all over from years of distress, from a very young tacker until adulthood. Don't do it now even if I get the urge, I think because Ive learnt to do other things. I wish someone had stopped me when I was younger cos the scarring is really embarrassing. I used to bang my head, burn myself, scratch holes in myself, put needles through my skin, bite, pinch, punch, staple and cut. My nephew does some of the same - and his parents just hit him when he does it.


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Everchanging
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23 Jan 2008, 8:40 am

I cut, but I don't think it's necessarily related.



spike55151
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01 Mar 2008, 7:48 pm

Ive had this problem for a long time, although since my mid-20's I mostly have it under control. The temptation still arises and I have found new, less noticeable substitutes. I'm now 32 years old.