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I think both of the previous commentors have valid points. Switching counselors can be a very great thing. Also, when I wanted to stop cutting, I felt tremendous amounts of pressure, both from myself and from all of my friends who knew about it. I then decided that I was no longer going to beat myself up about it. Because that was making me want to cut more and was clearly counter-productive. So I decided to let myself cut as much as I wanted, and I cut like crazy that month, but I didn’t at ALL the next month and a half, and not because I was making myself stop or anything. I stopped because I no longer needed it.

Cutting is a coping mechanism. It’s a way of making us feel “good,” especially chemically, as it releases a hormone called endorphins in the brain which give us a sense of well-being or a “high.” However, if you find other ways to make yourself feel better without doing harmful behaviours or self-harming, the cutting might decrease.

My counselor, who is my fourth one I’ve seen and is definitely helping me, also works in an addiction clinic, and she says when she meets with new patients there that she tells them she’s not there to help them get off of drugs. She’s there to help them deal with the reasons why they do drugs and help them to solve their problems instead of resorting to drugs to “fix” them or help them “go away.”

That being said, cutting is not the issue. The issue is the pain that’s making you cut. Find that, and try to find ways to handle the problems in ways that will make you feel better about yourself and your situation. It works. I speak from experience. Take care and be safe. ♥♥