Drugs or cutting?

Which is worse, cutting yourself or smoking/drinking/doing drugs?

Nice try

Those aren't the ONLY means of dealing with stress. I can say "What's worse? Getting LOADED every night, or shooting people?!" It doesn't mean getting loaded every night is automatically good just because it's the better choice.

Plus, some drugs and drinking in moderation are absolutely healthy and even recommended in helping people relax, mellow out, and enjoy life more. Mutilating yourself "a little" is not. Ever.

At least check out this site and see what it has to offer:

http://www.palace.net/~llama/psych/injury.html
42% Voted for by Weydon, petethemeat, frndofyaweh.
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Not the actions, how they are used...

People always assume that Drug use (including alcohol) is always a means to escape... In many instances some drugs like amphetamine based drugs (such as MDMA) make users feel more alive and more wanting to experience life than escape it...

Most if not all people have a desire to seek out pleasurable feelings, whether through the calm and bliss of meditation, sex, drugs, sport, achievements etc. Some ways of achieving these states carry more risks than others in this case drugs and cutting. This generally is the reason why such activities are looked down upon by many members of society.

It is my view that Cutting seems worse, but only it seems pointless- much risk for seemingly little reward. I cannot see how cutting can add anything to your life, and I see it only as a coping mechanism. Drugs can be used outside of a desperate situation.

It does greatly annoy me when people (often straight edge or cutters themselves) use the logic- it is my body why do you care? when they do not apply it universally. I believe neither should be illegal, provided no-one but the user is at risk. Driving under the influence of a substance should be as illegal as ever.

28% Voted for by petethemeat, Weydon.

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Weydon
April 18, 2007
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I do think they should be able to keep doing it if they want to against all odds. Especially if they're quite adept at making the injuries minimal so there'd be no risk to a fatality or something.

But people who participate in SI have a coping disability and an emotional problem. I can't arrest them for this, but I think you should be allowed to--especially if they are minors--temporarily "force" counseling on them.
Stepherz804
April 18, 2007
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Forcing counseling does nothing. It just makes it worse. A weird worse though. Like a wow someone cares but Im doing something maybe I shouldnt be so I gotta cut more to cope way. It doesnt make much sense unless your in the mind set. Forcing counseling on people is useless because they then dont want to be there for themselves.
Weydon
April 18, 2007
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"Forced" counseling has a tremendous record for being helpful in any number of things. Even when the patient is reluctant at first, counselors tend to be naturally empathetic and are trained in getting people to try talking about their problems--and then give helpful advice on top of it.

Rehabilitation is built--and proved widely successful--around the idea of putting people into counseling.
petethemeat
April 19, 2007
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I would agree with you Weydon about the issue concerning minors. I would of course argue that Drugs are only to be available to adults (which would be much easier to enforce if drugs were legally regulated.)

Forced counseling is a tricky issue, which I am not certain about its use for adults. I think that maybe incentives to go to counseling may work better than legal enforcements. Plus society needs to address its outlook on rehab and counseling, and see them as places to better themselves rather than go if you are a loser.

But the other argument has some truth to it, people will only change habits, destructive or otherwise if they really desire to change.
Weydon
April 19, 2007
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People seeking the counseling will of course have more promising results. But I would imagine a large amount of the people in prison rehabilitation, juvie, or alternatively sentenced to weekly/monthly counseling sessions plus community service aren't SEEKING the counseling--merely putting up with it. Yet it has a fairly high success rate, all things considered.

I think of it sort of like falling in love. If you're really looking for it, you'll probably "find it" relatively quickly--even if you're making most of it up in your mind lol. But if you genuinely couldn't care less, you can easily go a long time without encountering it, yet it can also just surprisingly find and change you anyway.

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endless screwedness

Neither is really a good choice. Ive only done one of the two but Im not qhat you'd call biased to it. They are very similar in a way. The drinking and the drugs vs. the mutilation. Its like making a pros and cons list yet the cons eventually outweigh the pros in this one. They both can cause serious mental, emotional, and physical issues. Yet they can also offer a "release". The "release" is only for a little while though so then ya gotta do it again. Its not worth it in the end. Someone finds out and your screwed. Do it too much and your screwed.

BTW I am aware screwedness is not a word. Looks kinda cool though.

Voted for by Stepherz804.

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Weydon
April 17, 2007
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They are not similar. Doctors will recommend drugs to some patients for their better mental health, even marijuana. Even moderate use of alcohol is considered healthy for body and mind. No doctor goes "Feeling down? How about taking an unsterilized blade to your skin?! You'll perk up in no time!"

The "release" from cutting is entirely from the mind and not from external forces. It's a coping disability. Some people can ween off this "release" by simply wearing a rubber band on their forearm and snapping it when they get the urge to mutilate their bodies. Still not the most wonderfully constructive way to get passed your issues as you are in actually stressing yourself out in the long run, but an obviously safer alternative to cutting your flesh.
Stepherz804
April 17, 2007
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Who says the blade is unsterilized? Ive known people who have made sure it was clean. They dont intend on killing themselves with a disease or getting an infection. That would raise attention to what they are doing and create more problems. Drugs are ridiculous. Cutting is ridiculous. Theres no need to do either. Theres no need to drink alcohol. Some people have different ways of coping. One person needs a joint another needs a razor blade.
Weydon
April 17, 2007
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"Who says the blade is unsterilized? Ive known people who have made sure it was clean."

What are you watching them sterilize? Stop them. It's dangerous, scarring, and unhealthy.

"They dont intend on killing themselves with a disease or getting an infection. That would raise attention to what they are doing and create more problems."

The majority of kids do NOT sterilize before cutting. I doubt they'd even know how to do it properly, and the time they spend doing it would just decrease the urgency of needing to cut themselves--which is usually an effective way of decreasing the need altogether. Keeping yourself busy.

"Theres no need to drink alcohol"

There's no need to watch cartoons or wear bracelets either. They're not automatically unhealthy or ridiculous.

"One person needs a joint another needs a razor blade."

Joints are medically safe and not addictive. People who have a stressful day by groan and go "I need a joint..." just like they could also say "I need a drink..." or "I need some ice cream..." or "I need to go running..." in order to unwind. None of which are similar to the urgent, muscle clenching, nearly OCD related NEED cut themselves.
Stepherz804
April 17, 2007
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Ive never seen them sterilize the blade. Im not stupid. Of course Id try to talk them out of it and if the need to cut is that bad then the waiting will make it worse. Im not defending cutting at all but its understandable. Just like the need for drugs and alcohol is. I dont agree with it. I think its stupid and wrong and people shouldnt do it but I understand why they do. Its all ways to escape something and its always gonna been there when its over. To me drugs and drinking are much worse then cutting. Someone can harm other people while being intoxicated whereas when someone cuts or burns or erases their skin they are essentially harming themselves until someone else finds out.
Weydon
April 17, 2007
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Some drugs and drinking are easy to control. In moderation they are not hazardous and leave little to no residual effects on your body.

You can only harm someone else while intoxicated if you're violent or driving. I have never drank and driven, and I drink to a rather unhealthy level. I used to be somewhat violent sometimes, but that was a temper problem not a drinking problem. As I learned to relax and appreciate life more, I got in less frequent fights with or without alcohol.

Cutting, burning, and scraping yourself is immediately harmful with permanent marks, much easier to accidentally go too far (and unlike drinking, where 99% of the time going too far means throwing up and passing out, cutting could mean serious injury or death), and has no genuine effect on the mind. At least substance users can say "Well, nothing else I take is going to make me feel all wobbly inside or laugh at everything!". Cutting is in the mind only. It can easily be replaced with a number of other methods like exercise, writing, dancing, etc
Stepherz804
April 17, 2007
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I would assume by your answers that you've never self- mutilated before. Its not that easy to replace. Alot of the people Ive known that were mutilaters exercised like crazy. Wrote in journals and wrote poetry and were in some extra-curricular activity. On top of cutting or whatever their method was. Those things are substitutes. They can actually make it worse. Im glad you can handle your alcohol but not everyone can. Just because they are easy to control doesnt mean they should be and for some mutilaters its a very easy thing to control. In fact thats why some do it. Its the only thing they can control out of life.
Weydon
April 18, 2007
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I know enough about SI, and I'm not saying "People who write or exercise don't do it!". I'm saying when they get the urge to do it, if they instead go running or lift some weights or write things out--whatever. Their minds and hearts go into something else, it distracts them, it gets their emotions out.

"Im glad you can handle your alcohol but not everyone can."

Not everyone can handle eating either.

"Just because they are easy to control doesnt mean they should be and for some mutilaters its a very easy thing to control. In fact thats why some do it. Its the only thing they can control out of life."

I know that already, but it's possible to work passed that realize they control other things. Focus on something else. Something that doesn't involve injury and mutilation.
Stepherz804
April 18, 2007
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The focus will always come back. You cant run from the urge forever. It builds up and bubbles over at some point. There could be weeks, months, years that someone doesnt mutilate and then it just boils and they relapse. Its like a drug. Crazy addicting and not the best of ways to cope or feel alive.
Weydon
April 18, 2007
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You're right, it's just impossible to move passed it. What was I thinking?
Stepherz804
April 19, 2007
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I didnt quite mean that. Getting a little melodramatic here. I meant the urge never goes away for some. Obviously its possible to move past it but its not like it happens the next day.

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Drugs

Cutting is only mild self-mutilation and doesn't cause brain damage or any other physical damage besides scars, and if you're careful you won't get major blood loss.

Voted for by irrelevantfears.

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MindsAbyss
April 17, 2007
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sad
all of the above are a pointless waste of time.
Oral Fixation
April 19, 2007
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Is that a serious answer?
How about infection, pain, spread of disease by infected blood...How about scars you won't appreciate at all when you're older?

Drugs? How about brain damage? How about paranoia and twisted thinking?

Can we please find other ways to deal with stress? We should have more options.
Weydon
April 20, 2007
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"Drugs? How about brain damage? How about paranoia and twisted thinking?"

HERE, HERE! ...Wait, you were arguing against drugs there, weren't you?
MindsAbyss
April 20, 2007
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That's what I was getting at. Drugs and cutting are both pointless. All they do is harm,and dont try to tell me that drugs are used for medicine because anyone reading this knows that the medical uses have nothing to do with this.
Weydon
April 21, 2007
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Some drugs and moderate alcohol use only temporarily "harms" your mind and has little to no longterm effects on your body.
Energizer Bunny
April 22, 2007
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that is like saying which is worse: dying from this or dying from that. Dead is dead. The only comparison is how you get there.
Weydon
April 22, 2007
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lol well I don't know if it's like THAT. A large majority of cutters are not at all suicidal or in vast danger of DEATH, nor do many drug or alcohol users.
petethemeat
April 23, 2007
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With something like drugs it just depends are you prepared to take the risks of harm for the enjoyment it can bring. For example Sky-diving only really delivers a rush- there are no real health benefits. There are risks doing so- it just depends whether you are willing to weigh up these risks compared to the pleasure gained.
Weydon
April 23, 2007
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Fair enough. I just feel like an occasional thrill seeking isn't as dangerous or comparable to a disability as mutilating your body anytime you feel stressed out. I dunno, maybe it's just that the latter seems more depressing lol
petethemeat
April 24, 2007
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I agree with you Weydon, cutting seems like a wholly pointless waste of time to me.