“i cut on occasion. something about the sight of my own blood is reassuring”
I saw this line in one of those annoying tests that are so common on the internet. What is the meaning of this? What is it about the sight of blood that one might find so reassuring? What is the psychological reasoning behind this?
As you might imagine, this is a very hard thing to search for.
Try Google on ‘Self Harm’ - lots of links.
In case you were wondering, this was the test.
BTW, apparently, I am going to hang myself.
Yes, but what specifically about the “sight of my own blood” part?
The brain releases endorphins - as a natural pain killer - in response to the injury/cut. So it’s a way of inducing a high, in addition to self medicating the underlying depression that predicates the desire to cut oneself.
AFAIK, this is the main psychological reasoning…
I suppose the ‘sight of my own blood’ would be reassuring to someone in a disassociative state (ie feeling ‘unreal’)…
It also serves as a physical release for emotional pain.
The reasoning generally given my cutters themselves is that the sight of the blood is proof or affirmation of various things,for example: of control, I did this to me, of being real/alive, the pain being proof of the ability to feel. They ususally also say that it has a grounding effect and a distracting effect.
At least it would reassure me that I still had some (blood).
Perhaps useful while hallucinating.
Sorry if this is an inappropriate for GQ but I used to cut (mildly) as a teenager.
The sight of my own blood was a reassurance that I was capable of bleeding (sort of a metaphor for feeling? hard to explain) and also, to put it bluntly, that I could do something right, i.e. complete the act of cutting.
Hope that helps.
For me it was a control issue. Dark days indeed, looking back on it. Still something I am not comfortable talking about, so sorry to hit and run.
oooooh! pretty! red! shiney!
You gotta wonder about the opinions of someone who can’t spell half the words in their own test.
Plus the quiz is “Would you commit suicide?” and there is no result for “no”.
I wouldn’t take the author as an expert on mental states/motivations… 
The only reassuring thing about my own blood is when it confirms I aint gonna be a mumma! 
If you’re seriously interested in the psychology of cutting or self-injury in general, this is an excellent resource.
Interesting, thank you very much.
No, that site did not mention anything about the desire for the sight of blood.
Does anyone else know about this personally or know where I can find clinical data about this?
Jesus Christ, I’m gonna hang myself?
Didn’t think I had the stomach for it.
As for the whole sight of blood thing, a horribly misguided friend of mine who refuses to seek professional help cuts himself. From what I’ve been able to coax out of him, the sight of his blood is actually more frightening, because he cuts pretty deep and doesn’t think when he does it but deeply regrets it afterwards and upon seeing the blood realizes what he’s done.
As for those that are comforted by it, the best I can come up with is what was said above, that it proves to oneself that one is real.
According to their description, the purpose of hanging is to induce strangulation which doesn’t sound right to me; I always thought that hanging is meant to break the neck and kill instantly. Right?
That test is a bit, “for the birds”… all the answers are really weird. There are no choices like “No, I’m actually quite content and don’t want to die”.
However you came accross that website, IMO it’s a load of arse.