does this count as self-harm?

[MrsMuddyPuddles]

I'm going to the doctor's next thurs to talk about mental health things, and wanted to know if I should bring something up... I've taken to biting my fingers/scratching at my arms when I feel really distressed, but I don't leave marks (not ones that last more than a few minutes at any rate), so I'm not sure if I should call it "self harm" because I'm not sure it really is, and don't want to come off as all, I dunno, melodramatic and attention seeking reason I didn't mention the thoughts about suicide at my last apt, its not like I was planning on killing myself/seriously considering it as an option, so it wasn't worth mentioning, right? Maybe not? anyway. So is it self harm? something different? Regardless, I should mention it, right?

Yes, I would mention it to him. I also would mention the negative thoughts. I know what you mean about attention seeking but its best to be honest. Sorry I'm not being more articulate
It IS self-harm because you are hurting yourself and taking out your anger on yourself.
Good luck OP. I've been there myself and its a journey worth starting.

I think you should mention all of it. It's hard to but I think you should.

Intentionally causing harm to yourself is self harm. The marks don't need to last or even appear at all - there are many ways to harm yourself.

If you are able to mention it to your GP then please do, they can only help you based on what they tell you. And i say that as a person who has never been fully honest with my own GP!

MrsMP - I'm sure there are degrees of self harm. I suffer from depression and anxiety and on bad days I can sometimes pull holes in my blanket - it is a sort of loose weave design so it isn't that difficult to do. I think it's not so important what we actually do when we are very distressed but the fact that we get to a point where we have to do something, and I think this demonstrates that the distress is becoming overwhelming.

I definitely think you should mention your suicidal thoughts (a major symptom of depression) and very distressing in themselves. I think many of us who have these thoughts know that deep down we would not actually do anything (it's called suicide ideation) and should be taken seriously by a GP. I don't think it's so much wanting to die, as wanting the pain to stop and this is the only way we can see it stopping. Does that make sense. That's how it is for me anyway - I have gone to bed on many a night and hoped for a nice quiet heart attack in the night.

When I was severely depressed and on psych ward for 3 months Easter 2010 I had recurring suicidal thoughts but still knew I wouldn't do anything, although part of that was not knowing how to do it so it worked, rather than leaving me brain damaged or something like that. Then some wise friend told me that if you do commit suicide you just pass on your pain to the loved ones you leave behind..........that stopped me in my tracks.

Hope you get the support you need from your GP

Meant to say Hi Paperview - I remember you from other threads, but as my memory is crap can't remember the details. Think you were having a very rough patch a little while ago - how are things now. NNx

Sorry Mrs MP to interrupt your thread.

Self harm is a coping mechanism. It is a sign of internal pain and I don't think that the degree of damage shows necessarily how much you are hurting.

Complusively biting yourself is known as dermophagia. It is in the same family of mental illnesses as Trichotillomania (complusive hair pulling) or possibly severe nail biting.

I complusively bite my hands when stress. My health visitor referred me to the community mental health team as bit myself so hard that I drew blood. Unfortunately the community mental health team were about as useless as chocolate teapot and did nothing to help me.

What helps me is distraction. When the urge to bite my hands/ fingers is too much I wrap my hand in duvet to try and give my hands some kind of protection. I find it difficult not to bite my fingers when I am under stress. I believe that some people have good results with mindfulness, but I find it hard to concentrate enough.

Yes, it is self-harm. I've self harmed in the past to varying degrees. You need to talk about everything, the suicidal feelings especially. When you have a mental illness, you can't see anything physical and it's possible to start doubting whether what you feel is actually real. But you need to believe it is otherwise you won't get treatment which has a fully informed presentation of your condition.

Thank you, everyone.
(sorry to have disapeared, I'm finding it hard to talk about things)

Thanks again, the appointment today went better, and felt worse, than I expected. (also thanks for just being there... I couldn't say "I feel like this" but I could, and did, say "MN said I should tell you..." chicken and a weasely way of doing it, but got the words out)

Well done!