Sometimes, we at The Band know that part of owning who you are is admitting it to the world.
It's one reason why we at The Band work tirelessly to break down stigmas and find the ties that connect us all, the ties that remind us that we are none of us alone.
Please join us in standing tall and proud as we tell the world who we are.
What are you, The Band, The Face Of?
If you are in immediate need of help,
call the S.A.F.E. Hotline at
1-800-DONTCUT
My name is Jen, and since I first picked up a knife 13 years ago, I am the face of self-injury.
I am 27 years old. I am a wife and mother. I don't always fit the preconceptions of what self-injury looks like. It isn't something I do for attention, and I am not suicidal.
The last time I fell of the wagon was two years ago. I still feel the desire to self-harm. It's never gone away for me. I've just learned to choose other coping methods besides self-injury.
When I'm feeling overwhelmed, that urge weighs on me. It presses down on me, and I start to feel that picking up a blade is key to letting some of that pressure out.
In my head, I know that self-harm isn't actually a helpful coping mechanism. I know that the shame and guilt over hurting myself will just add to the stress of what ever is already triggering me.
And then to relieve that stress, I'll want to injure myself. Which will cause more shame and guilt. It can quickly devolve into a never-ending cycle.
Like I said, I've learned to choose other coping methods. Some days that choice is easier than other days. But as long as I still have to consciously make the choice not to cut or burn myself, I am the face of self-injury.
