why do we cut our wrists?

Why do we cut our wrists?
Is it because physical pain overpowers emotional?
Or is it simply for the pleasure of cutting yurself?

Mostly physical some pleasure!
I use to physical..but im over that stage after some help..

it releases a chemical in our brains that gives us a natural high

I think that people who cut are not so smart but that is my opionion

don't worry lmao I DO NOT cut myself!!!

you asked why 'we cut' that tends to imply you cut...
And people cut for different reasons, either it's distracting, or it makes you feel when you're numb, the endorphins make you feel better, some people do it out of guilt, control, it depends on the person...

there are a lot of reasons
some are because theres so much mental and emotional pain, so it turns to physical pain soo your head isn't such a mess, sometimes people just want to see their own blood, some feel like its punishment they deserve, and some people do it for the attention
there are a million reasons
not one general one

ok. as a cutter I have to tell you my reasons. I noticed you have a lot of responses and Im sure theyre true to a certain extent but I have this to say. first of all people who cut are not all necessarily suicidal. people who cut do so as a means of release from physical or emotional pain ,or as a cry for help. some people do so because they want to externalise their thougths. for example, you feel ugly inside so you mark the outside. in my case, my motto is 'physical pain to avoid emotional pain' no I dont like cutting, no I dont like blood, no Im not trying to kill myself, yes Im in therapy and no I dont cut myself all the time. I havent cut myself for quite a while now. when things are so overwhelming and I cant deal, this is how I cope. yeah I know, its not a good coping skill, thats why Im in therapy to learn better ways. when I was younger I stopped cutting by piercing. instead of cutting I would add another hole to my ears. as I grew older and ran out of room on my ears I turned to drugs and alcohol. and yeah sorry people, but I think being a cutter is a far better alternative than being a drug addict or alcoholic. yeah I've tried other coping skills, I've tried talking, I've tried prescription medications, I've tried writing, I've tried hobbies... sometimes the other things you try just dont have the same effect. for me the best method of stopping was having someone supportive of me who cared. when I began cutting it was because I needed help. and bad. I was being raped and molested and there was noone I could talk to. I was desperately hoping that someone would see the scars (altho I did my best to hide them) and offer me help. if you know a cutter or someone who wants to cut, the best thing you can do is be there for them. a lot of times all we need is a sympathetic ear. try and get them to seek professional help, a lot of times you'll have to try multiple times... dont be dissuaded.

Well why do you think you do it?

Well, personally, I love the scars.

It's not something you can just copy, it's not a high that you can get from anything else. When a cutter is trying to get better, the people around them may tell them to look for a natural high or something to give them a healthy release.You see, that confusses the cutter. There is no better 'natural high' and the only release they know comes from their skin. A person who has never experienced the release of self injury cannot understand fully why one would cut.
Imagine the thrill of riding a rollor coaster...up... and up...and up, slowly the rising to the peak of it all, the twisting knots in your stomach, the empty feeling in your head. Not really for sure on what rests at the bottom of your fall. Then you drop, and the wind whirls by and you feel free and light and you can feel that you are alive. That is what cutting feels like sometimes. Other times its not so pleasent. The urge and pain that comes from the addiction to it is unbearable, so you cut, and you rely on it for every emotion. If your happy, cut; if you flunked your test, cut; found a good deal on a new shirt, cut. No matter the emotion, not matter what happens that day, you feel like you have to cut to make it real.
Some people cut for the release and feeling of seperation from it all, others may cut to see the blood and feel alive. Some are just so addicted they don't know why they cut at all. And others cut because they just feel like it or their friends do it. Maybe its a mixture of a few or these or none of these. Whatever the reason, the pain behind it is deeper then any cut you could ever make.

farmjunk got it right