Does hearing about other people's problems ever make you feel guilty for your own?

I mean like when I hear about people who say the reason they cut themselves is that they were horribly abused or whatever then I feel like I have no right to cut myself since nothing that bad happened to me to make me do it, and like I'm trivializing their suffering by doing the same thing they do (i.e. cutting) and making it meaningless. Does anyone else ever feel like that?

Nope, never. I don't feel guilt very well, and when I do I usually just end up laying a huge guilt trip on someone else accidentally.

This morning, I kind of blew off this guy that wanted to pray for a girl who's about to get chopped up into donated organs, and then like ten minutes later, I was talking to this lady who's been stressing out about doing this speech for me that she'll be giving on a retreat for kids, only we don't have any kids signed up yet.

She said "There better be some kids by the weekend, because I'm gonna be mad if I had to do all this work and nobody shows up!" and I was like "Yeah, me too." without even thinking about it.

Only, she's giving one talk for the retreat, and I'm supposed to be in charge of the whole thing. God, you should have seen the look on her face! She just about fell over appologizing to me "Oh, I'm sorry, here I am just thinking all about myself..." I bet she still feels guilty.

And now... umm, what question was I answering? Oh, yeah, you're totally cheapening the whole meaning of cutting, you should stop that right away... Well, cutting isn't good for you anyway, but, lots of people cut, and some of them lie about why they do it so people won't think they're just weird.

Really, when you hurt yourself on purpose you usually feel guilty no matter what. That's your body saying "You shouldn't be doing this." That's a bunch of christians quoting that whole "Thy body is a temple of God" don't desecrate it bit.. and that whole "Thou shalt not tattoo thyself no scar thy body for the sake of the dead" verse.

Well, I've made a good and thorough jerk of myself here, so now I'm off to ask a question about where all the trailer parks are, or something. Then I'll go to bed, and tomorrow I'll figure out how to apply to this college that's almost two thirds women, since they seem so desperate to have me, a guy, go to school there. Geeze, don't twist my arm or anything, huh?

I don't listen to other people's problems, sorry, I tuned out years ago, if you have problems go talk to you husband, mother, shrink, but not me. OK?

no those people need help you can only say your sorry and tell them they are thought about and hope they get help.

ick, if you put it like that, I've always thought listening to others problems was therapeutic. kinda takes your mind off of your problems. It kinda comes down to "why do you cut yourself?" if there is no underlining reason there?