alternatives to cutting - this felt weird **SI**

[kate_]

i had a very strange conversation a few days ago...

i went out with a few friends and we all got piercings. i was getting my nipples done, and the girl told me to take off my shirt. i'm very self-conscious i guess of my arms, even though they had bandages on them i didn't want anyone to see..so i pulled my shirt off but left it around my arms...she said i needed to take it off all the way, so i finally did.

in the room was the piercer, her boyfriend who owns the store, and three friends [two are cutters too]. the girl saw my arms and asked me what happened, then she shook her head and smiled and said "bad girl..".

then we all started talking about cutting. the guy said that it's the rush of endorphins or something that people like, and that's why they cut. he also said that his girlfriend had scars all up her thighs..then they started talking about alternative to cutting. they said that dry ink tattooing gives you the same rush [getting a tattoo, but without the ink]. and suggested branding [same thing, but more artistic, so your scars are pretty] and the girl said that she stopped cutting when she discovered play piercings. all they do is take sterile needles and things that they use to pierce, and pierce the skin as many times as they like, but don't put jewellery in, let it heal.

*SI* [the girl went on to tell us that she had taken a piece of string and threaded it through the new holes, and slid it back and forth].

this sounds kind of gross to me, but it's probably a lot safer than the way most people SI, especially cutting [because everything is sterile]. anyways, it was just strange to talk about si so openly as if it was a part of normal life, but i guess for us it is..

anybody heard of this kind of thing? or has anyone had such open and honest conversationg about SI like this IRL?


[edit: i over used the term SI before, what i meant is it's an alternative to just regular cutting...i'm not suggesting it's good or bad, it's just something new i found out about and the whole conversation was kind of surprising to me]

[Miss_Panda]

I've heard of this, and it sounds like a good idea. I have had an open conversation IRL about SI and it made me feela lot better about why I SI'ed.I think it's best to talk about it (but with peopl;e you can trust), just so they understand how you're feeling.

[magebaby]

i'm sorry to be picky and i hope i'm not treadding on any anybody's toes, but could you please put a trig in if you post stuff that's approaching methods? i found the thing with the string a little hard to handle, and wasn't expecting it, as your trig was only for "poss SI"

i do understand that it can be a relief to discuss SI openly and without pretences IRL, and i have had one.

however, i'm not sure to what extent i would consider play piercings and so on "SI alternatives". it seems to me that they are just other methods of SI, if the point is still to feel pain but use more "socially acceptable" means (with scars that are pretty etc). so i'm not sure what difference there is between those things and SI by cutting.

it's always a good idea though to make yourself as physically safe as possible if you are going to SI. if you're going to cut, you should make sure that your tools are sterile.

take care all,
mage

[balletomane]

Somehow play piercings don't sound at all different from SI. The physical action is slightly different, but the intent is still the same--to intentionally cause pain for emotional relief or some sort.

At anyrate, it is always important to try to minimize physical damage and risk of infection. So regardless, you should sterilize your tools.

yeah, so it could just be me, but I don't think play piercings are an alternative to SI, just another method.

[Sarita]

I've never really had any convos about SIing but i actually thought the ideas given to you were interesting. have you tried any yet?

[kate_]

no i haven't tried anything that was suggested...but it might be fair to say that i use piercings as an alternative somewhat, and i want another tattoo [a month after i started cutting i decided that when i am finally able to stop and let my scars fade a bit, i'll get a tattoo of a heart on each wrist..still waiting for that though]...but i don't think i'd do it just for the feeling, i'd want to be able to see the tattoo or piercing afterwards..

and in a way i look at it differently because i don't tattoo or pierce myself, so it's not self-inflicted pain..i don't know, for me the 'feelings' i guess fall into a different category than SI.