(TW self harm) is this a common thing with self harmers or is it just me?

bignosegirly0

I haven’t harmed myself since February and my scars have nearly fully faded.

Hence, I feel comfortable wearing shorts around others.

However, when I’m at the gym, lifting heavy weights, my skin goes red and my scars becomes more visible.

Is that a common thing or is it just me?

Lottie5433

Hi
im proud thsy you havent harmed yourself since February - you should be prod of yourself ,3and that the scars are faded now

in terms of the scars showing when at the gym due to going red etc, this is pretty common for it to happen. I have been through the same and experience this in the hot and the cold. just know its not just you.

Azziman

Hey @bignosegirly0, I can hear how you've not hurt yourself since February - that's really positive to hear! However, I can understand you're concerned about the visibility of your scars - hopefully hearing @Lottie5433's response above provides some reassurance. How do you feel about the situation? We're here to support you.

bignosegirly0

@Azziman im not ashamed of my scars. And I’m not ashamed to mention it to others who may ask about my injuries. But the only people I’m worried about is my family.

I have a history of professionals calling up my family to tell them about my issues with self harm, and ultimately leading to an hour of them yelling at me, calling me selfish, childish etc.

So obviously I’m gonna have to be more careful and hide them when I’m around my family.

Azziman

That makes sense @bignosegirly0 - I can hear how that past experience might put you off wanting to mention it to your family. Being shouted at isn't a nice feeling, so it seems natural that you'd want to avoid that! It's not ideal when family treats you like this, but this sounds like a pragmatic way to navigate it. That being said, we are here to support you whenever you'd like to talk about this - no judgement!