Tag: self esteem

defectivegembrain:

anyway adult self harm is a serious issue and not a sign of immaturity or something people should’ve just grown out of and people who don’t have a clue what it’s like should really try shutting the fuck up about it

Also, adult self harm doesn’t always look like teenage self harm. If you’ve ever denied yourself food or water or other basic self care, not because of executive dysfunction but because you think you don’t deserve to be fed or watered or cared for, because you think you’re trash, congrats, you self harm. As a teenager I used to self harm in ways that gave me scars. In my thirties, I self harm by denying myself things I need to survive or by forcing myself beyond my limits because I’m trying to justify my existence to some bogus standard my brain cooked up to punish me.

EDIT: This also applies to eating too much, drinking too much, etc because you think you deserve to feel sick and be fat and alone and whatever. It’s the shame and self loathing that are the core of the problem here. Most people who self harm will swing between denial and excess. It’s a self perpetuating cycle where you always lose.