If one more person says that I’m too old for this, or that I should be over it by now, or “that’s still going on?” I’m going to completely lose it.
Way too many people think self injury is a teenage problem and that it’s just for attention and that you’re gonna get “bored” and grow out of it. And when they see me, at 39 years old, still struggling, in fact a lot worse than when I was in high school, they think that it’s my fault. They assume that I just haven’t tried hard enough or done the right things or that I’m just being immature cause “adults don’t do that kind of thing”. It makes me furious, because I know that it’s not me who has failed (well, I mean, I have, but that’s besides the point), it’s the stupid, broken system that has failed me.
I am fully aware that no one can save me from myself, that I need to accept responsibility for my actions, etc. But this is an actual addiction. No one looks at alcoholics or people with drug addictions and says “really? You’re way too old to be addicted to that!” or “grow up already! Aren’t you tired of that yet?” They pick them up and clean them off and take them to rehab where they’ll spend a month or 2 and come out the other end good as new. What I wouldn’t give to be able to check in some place and have someone take care of me long enough to be able to call myself recovered. That kind of place doesn’t exist, or if it does, I’m probably too old to go there. Not like I could afford it anyway. Rehab, of any kind, really is just for the rich and famous.

Sorry that this is such a big, long rant…. I was due for a good venting session.
But seriously? How many of you agree with me? Or, can I just ask- if you’re comfortable with it, could you put your age in the comments? And how long you’ve been self harming for?
Thanks

#Selfharm #Selfinjury #Ageism #Unfairjudgement #pleasehelpme #misunderstood