I'm really scared I need stitches . It's not very deep but I see white. It's a little wide like 1/4 inch. The cuts on my thigh by the way

You may need stitches. We really can't say over the internet, and please don't post a picture of your wound.

Was this cut intentional, or an accident? Have you told your parents about it? You may need to see a doctor. Your parents need to know what's going on. If this is an intentional wound you need more help than just stitches or a band-aid.

How did you cut yourself?

How did you cut yourself?

With a razor blade

With a razor blade

Why?

Why?

I self harm because I'm depressed and have a bad past

I self harm because I'm depressed and have a bad past

You are going to have to talk to your parents or school counselor. As hard as it is.

There is no way we can say whether you need stitches via the internet. It is also possible that you could get tetanus, or lockjaw, if your DPT is not up to date.

You are going to have to talk to your parents or school counselor. As hard as it is.

There is no way we can say whether or not you need stitches via the internet. It is also possible that you could get tetanus, or lockjaw, if your DPT is not up to date.

DPT? What the?

I self harm because I'm depressed and have a bad past

I can relate. My past is the stuff of most people's worst nightmares.

There is help for depression, and self harming. You do have to ask for that help though, which means trusting someone that can get you that help.

Can you talk to your parents about this?

DPT? What the? Diptheria, Pertussis and Tetanus. Tetanus causes lockjaw. If you haven't had a DPT vaccination in the past 7 years you need one now.

I can relate. My past is the stuff of most people's worst nightmares.

There is help for depression, and self harming. You do have to ask for that help though, which means trusting someone that can get you that help.

Can you talk to your parents about this?. No I can't tell my parents because they think people who cut belong in a mental hospital

. No I can't tell my parents because they think people who cut belong in a mental hospital

You're cutting because of depression, and what you think is a bad past. That does require mental help. More help than we can offer here.

You don't necessarily need to be put in a mental hospital, but you do need psychiatric help. So your parents aren't far off.

You're cutting because of depression, and what you think is a bad past. That does require mental help. More help than we can offer here

You don't necessarily need to be put in a mental hospital, but you do need psychiatric help. So your parents aren't far off.
I just can't tell them. Is there any other way for me to get help??

Is there any other way for me to get help?? Talk to your counselor at school, school nurse, etc.

Talk to your counselor at school, school nurse, etc.

Will they tell my parents?

They may, or they may not. I can't predict that. However, do you want to live or die? Do you want to eat regular food or to you want to suck from a straw?

It's apparent you need some help. More help than we can give here.

I just can't tell them. Is there any other way for me to get help????

I agree with J9, talk to a counselor at school.

But really, a counselor at school can only do so much. You need to get to the bottom of why you cut yourself, why you're depressed.

There are medications to help with depression. The cutting is a direct result of the depression.

Your family doctor can help with meds if he/she deems you're depressed, and they're sworn to keep anything you tell them private. So the next time you see your family doctor, ask to speak to him/her alone, and tell him/her about your depression, and yourself harming. He/she may be able to help with at least a part of it.

How old are you?

Can you tell me what's causing the depression and self harming? You can read my story on this site. I can post a link if you want. I never self harmed, but depression is not something new for me. I take medication for it, and it helps a lot. It's not a stigma, many people are on anti-depressants. It's not at all uncommon nowadays.

You're really not alone in any of this. But, you do need help, more help than we're qualified to give. We can lead you in the right direction, but we can't fix what's going on.

Right now you need to get help for this cut. It sounds like you'll need to see a doctor about it.

Don't you want to end this? If you do, that will mean that you'll have to ask for help. If you're a minor, that means going to your parents. I know it's scary, I never told my parents any of what I went through. But if I had to do it all over again, I would. It would have been nice to get the help I needed earlier than I did. It would have made a lot of difference in my life.

I agree with J9, talk to a counselor at school.

But really, a counselor at school can only do so much. You need to get to the bottom of why you cut yourself, why you're depressed.

There are medications to help with depression. The cutting is a direct result of the depression.

Your family doctor can help with meds if he/she deems you're depressed, and they're sworn to keep anything you tell them private. So the next time you see your family doctor, ask to speak to him/her alone, and tell him/her about your depression, and your self harming. He/she may be able to help with at least a part of it.

How old are you?

Can you tell me what's causing the depression and self harming? You can read my story on this site. I can post a link if you want. I never self harmed, but depression is not something new for me. I take medication for it, and it helps a lot. It's not a stigma, many people are on anti-depressants. It's not at all uncommon nowadays.

You're really not alone in any of this. But, you do need help, more help than we're qualified to give. We can lead you in the right direction, but we can't fix what's going on.

Right now you need to get help for this cut. It sounds like you'll need to see a doctor about it.

Don't you want to end this? If you do, that will mean that you'll have to ask for help. If you're a minor, that means going to your parents. I know it's scary, I never told my parents any of what I went through. But if I had to do it all over again, I would. It would have been nice to get the help I needed earlier than I did. It would have made a lot of difference in my life.
I'm only 13 and don't have a family doctor. I've only told one person I self harm and all they said was stop and thought I could. I want this to end but when I tried to stop it only got worse. I just started burning myself along with cutting.

Tell your parents, they can get you the professional help you need

1. you know you need to stop
2. you know you can not do it by yourself
3. you are 13, so no money, no job and no way to go to get treatment.

*** you have to tell your parents, go do it <

I'm only 13 and don't have a family doctor. I've only told one person I self harm and all they said was stop and thought I could. I want this to end but when I tried to stop it only got worse. I just started burning myself along with cutting.

You're a child. That means that only your parents can get you the help you need. That means that you have to be brave, and tell them.

If they put you in a mental hospital, which I doubt they'd do, then maybe that's not so bad. You'd get help. That's what's important. You do need help with this.

You can't stop because you don't have the skills to help you stop. Counseling will teach you those skills. Dealing with your depression will help.

Bottom line, you need help, not advice. You need actual help, which we can't provide. Your parents can.

I know it won't be easy to talk to them about this, but you need help. Don't you want help? I think you do, otherwise you wouldn't have come here and posted what you did. You're crying out for help. I wish we could help, that we could fix this for you, but we can't. Your parents can.

Talk to your parents.

I'm not saying you should keep self-harming or that it's okay or an acceptable way to deal with your pain, but I know it's not easy to stop, so I'm going to give you some practical advice for in the meantime while you try to get up the courage to seek help.

First of all, make yourself a first-aid kit. Alcohol swabs, antibiotic ointment, band-aids of different shapes and sizes (butterfly bandages work best for deeper cuts like the one you mentioned- they hold it together so it bleeds less and heals properly), gauze and medical tape. Keep unused and sterile razor blades at the BOTTOM of the first aid kit. (Never, EVER use a razor blade that has already been used.)

After you have all these things in some sort of box, keep a note on top of it all that says something along the lines of "I am a beautiful, intelligent, awesome person, and I will not let the world treat me like I'm anything less. Whatever I am dealing with right now will not last forever. I am strong and I will make it out of this rough time, and I will make an amazing life for myself, even if I can't see that now. I will be happy and loved and I will not always be hurt and sad. I have friends and I have family (and pets, if you have them) that love me, even if they do not understand me, and I am not alone. Things will get better. And there is always someone willing to talk here: 1-800-273-8255 (suicide prevention hotline for the US- if you live outside the US, put the appropriate number here- you can call anytime and someone will be there to listen to you and give you advice if you need it.)" You can add other things that make you feel good to this letter like inspirational quotes or pictures of your loved ones, but don't put ANYTHING negative in it. The trick is to read this to yourself EVERY time you feel like you might want to cut. Every single time. This will give you some time to think and to calm down and will hopefully make you want to cut less.

However, if that doesn't work, now you have a way to take care of your wounds in a way that is much more safe and less likely to get you infected. If you ever have a cut that won't stop bleeding, see a doctor- I don't care how scared you are of being caught, go see a doctor. Your life is worth more than your fear of peoples' judgment. If you ever have a wound that isn't healing, that is red, hot, swollen, oozing pus- again, go see a doctor. Better to be forced into telling your parents about your bad habit than losing a limb or your life.

I wish you the best of luck in healing- both physically and emotionally. And I really do hope you find the courage to talk to someone and to get help dealing with whatever is going on in your life. I promise you that no matter how hard it seems now, it will get better, and you will learn to move forward with your life and cope with things in a healthier way, even if it seems impossible to you right now. There are some really great people out there who will be willing to listen to you and help you find the right path. Getting help doesn't ever make you weak and you should never be ashamed, no matter what anyone says- even your parents. Hurting and trying to deal with that hurt on your own by self-harming does not make you crazy and does not mean you need to be in a mental institution, it just means that you need help dealing with things going on in your life that are overwhelming you and have been out of your control. You're just a strong young woman going through a tough time. Don't ever let anyone tell you any different.

Good luck, and take care.