Stop help: My aunt found my bloody towel that I used to stop my self inflicted cuts from bleeding. - Help.com

first thing that occurs to me is that you left the towel on top of the laundry pile, could it possibly be that somewhere in the back of your head you’ve reached a point where you wanted to get better, and wanted someone to see the towel and help you out of what you’re in? i think that’s a very hopeful sign on your side & i salute you for getting to it if that’s true. maybe she just needs time to think what to say to you, or where to begin to ask… I’m sure a bloody towel isn’t something anyone knows how to react to by default, specially when seen in the laundry of someone you love…. best of luck

Umm, why should she think immediately about self harm? (if she doesn’t know that you self harm that is). You can always say that your friend stepped on a piece of glass and got a bad cut.

if you’re encouraging her to keep hiding, i have to strongly disagree here, with all due love and respect :)

.Eli. wrote:
Umm, why should she think immediately about self harm? (if she doesn’t know that you self harm that is). You can always say that your friend stepped on a piece of glass and got a bad cut.

Truth should be told after thinking it through.
What good would it do if her aunt would freak out and would start treating her like a mentally insane person? That’s a possible scenario.
If a person wants to stop self harming but can’t stop on his/her own then go to your local psychiatrist and get into therapy.
Sometimes it’s better to keep your family in the dark about some stuff.

Maybe shes thinking how best to talk to you about it , sensitively finding the right words or maybe she is waiting for you to come and talk to her about it - giving you that space, freedom and respect as an adult. Anyway your primary concern should be on getting better and not what people think so here are some resources to help you:
http://help.com/post/471209-on-self-harm

Good luck :)

I agree with Lazy that you want to be discovered and helped for your affliction. I would go to my Aunt and discuss it with her and try to get help. It will only get worse in the long run if you don’t begin to find out other ways to handle your inner conflict and dealing with stress. Good luck to you.

I’m with you on that in general, but i think this particular post is rather about why the aunt didn’t say anything than about what excuses to tell her, so hiding right now isn’t even the question…. besides, don’t forget she’s only 17, maybe her school doesn’t provide the best services, and maybe she needs help finding a really good therapist rather than rushing into the first one she sees in the yellow pages.

.Eli. wrote:
Truth should be told after thinking it through.
What good would it do if her aunt would freak out and would start treating her like a mentally insane person? That’s a possible scenario.
If a person wants to stop self harming but can’t stop on his/her own then go to your local psychiatrist and get into therapy.
Sometimes it’s better to keep your family in the dark about some stuff.

well said, and good luck, brooke :)

Phoenix [NQ wrote:
❤] Anyway your primary concern should be on getting better and not what people think so here are some resources to help you:
http://help.com/post/471209-on-self-harm

Good luck :)

Well, why she didn’t say anything… my thought is : no words.
People are generally aware of the self harm as a fact, little less aware of the causes, a lot less aware of the mechanics of self harm, I mean what i really is etc. But still, generally they think that “no, something like that can never happen to my family”. And when it does - they go mute at first because they don’t know what to say. Some get shicked, some just go sad. It takes time to word out the thougts.

.Eli. wrote:
Well, why she didn’t say anything… my thought is : no words.
People are generally aware of the self harm as a fact, little less aware of the causes, a lot less aware of the mechanics of self harm, I mean what i really is etc. But still, generally they think that “no, something like that can never happen to my family”. And when it does - they go mute at first because they don’t know what to say. Some get shicked, some just go sad. It takes time to word out the thougts.

I agree the aunt my not necessarily have thought self harm - but if you saw a bloody towel you would think omg! so & so has hurt themselves and ask them if they are ok. The very fact that she did not say anything is a clue that she thinks something is very wrong but does not know what to say. But I feel the real issue here is focusing on getting better - whether or not you want to tell your aunt is a secondary matter, unless you think she will support you in finding a therapist and getting the help and support you need. You’re such a pretty girl - you should be enjoying life! I know you must have gone through some deep issues to make you do this to yourself but you must not let it consume and destroy you in this way - help is out there.
http://help.com/post/471209-on-self-harm

♪ PheeGee ♫ wrote:
My first thought wouldn’t be self harm personally. It would have been miscarriage. Not sure why.

true actually

Man if someone left a bloody towel on my laundry i’d have been like .. what the hell man. I wouldn’t even care where it came from at first, just that some lazy MF couldn’t be bothered to clean up their own freakin biohazardous waste. I know I see blood and all i think of is aids and hepatitis.

Top 5 replies to the question, “Why was there a bloody towel in the laundry?”:

1. Just don’t look in the basement.
2. Have you seen Mittens lately?
3. Shut up or you’re next.
4. Just the towel, no ear?
5. What have you done?!

Actually, I liked Phoenix’s response.

Phoenix [NQ wrote:
❤]Maybe shes thinking how best to talk to you about it , sensitively finding the right words or maybe she is waiting for you to come and talk to her about it - giving you that space, freedom and respect as an adult. Anyway your primary concern should be on getting better and not what people think so here are some resources to help you:
http://help.com/post/471209-on-self-harm

Good luck :)

And lazy’s point about why you left it there in the first place.

lazy wrote:
first thing that occurs to me is that you left the towel on top of the laundry pile, could it possibly be that somewhere in the back of your head you’ve reached a point where you wanted to get better, and wanted someone to see the towel and help you out of what you’re in? i think that’s a very hopeful sign on your side & i salute you for getting to it if that’s true. maybe she just needs time to think what to say to you, or where to begin to ask… I’m sure a bloody towel isn’t something anyone knows how to react to by default, specially when seen in the laundry of someone you love…. best of luck

Cutting isn’t a game, it isn’t part of growing up, it’s a symptom of emotional issues that need to be addressed. You may not want to address them with your aunt, or your parents, but you do need to see a counselor or a medical professional about it. If you had a tumor, hiding it wouldn’t make everything okay.

eatRIGHT wrote:
Most likely she imagines you cut yourself shaving and used a towel to clean up. It is ontop of the laundry so she can treat it with a prewash before putting it in the machine. SH is not something many parents are aware of. She would certainly get you the help you obviously want if she knew what was up.

Do you know about www.twloha.com ? Check it out. Something obviously has you looking for a way to sooth yourself, but this approach is just a pacifier that can easily be replaced with something that will help you reach the calm you are seeking in a healthier manner. I am sure you would want to look back at how you found a way to escape this problem to become stronger. I believe in you. Others know where you are now and where you wish you could be. Reach for better days.

Thanks for sharing :)

http://help.com/post/479888-help#repl…