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Warning
The pictures in this section can be very triggering. Please make sure you are safe before looking at them. If you are not safe, please return to the front page.
As an extra safety, a username and password is required to view the pictures. You can obtain the password by sending an email to pictures@psyke.org.
I would like to stress that this collection of pictures should not be seen as an encouragement to injure yourself. I do not want it to turn into a contest to see who can send me the 'worst' pictures.
Feedback
This section has certainly helped keep my inbox full. Below is a few examples of the e-mails i get. You can read more opinions on this section in the feedback section.
Felicity has these comments on the picture section:
I'm writing to ask you, as an ex-cutter and a person still dealing with the effects of self-injury in my life, to please take down the pictures you have on your website. They help no cutter or cutter's friend to understand what happens. Instead, they inspire sick, twisty feelings of inadequacy and self-pity, which, in turn, may lead to deeper, worse cuts, and a desire not to stop because "Hey, maybe I can get MY cuts on that site and be famous like Richey James." You're making the problem worse, not better.
And another thing - some of your links have nothing to do with self-injury. Instead, they deal with self-mutilation, which, if you actually knew something, you would realize is different from self-INJURY. Self-mutilation is done to achieve a cosmetic affect... it includes self-piercing, among other things.
Sort things out. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I feel you're making it harder for self-injurers to stop and get help.
Respectfully,
Felicity
Jade sent me this response to Felicitys comments:
I'm writing to you after having read Felicity's email. For some people the pictures may be 'harmful', I personally have never met anyone else who was affected negatively by them. While I'm wanting to respect Felicity's opinion and her reaction I am forced to whole-heartedly disagree.
I also am a recovering self-injurer, I however was infinitely helped by these living testaments to the fact that we are not alone. There is no way that I could have gone this long without cutting without this site, especially the pictures page.
A printed out picture of Richey James (who was brought up in her email in a somewhat derogatory way!) is what brought me to this website in the first place. I would like to both thank you for this site and that particular page as well as request that that page not be taken down. There is a warning and the requirement to obtain a password, which is plenty to safe guard those who wish to veiw the pictures, with the exception of those would use the motivation which could possibly be induced as a subconcious excuse to do what they would do anyways. If someone finds it triggering the first time they go to it, they will know it's effects.
I am also horribly offended by the comment that people who would add pictures of themselves are just wanting to be famous. That comment is sickeningly close to the one that I've been having to deal with for years, that people who self injure are just wanting attention. While I personally have added no pictures of myself I have complete respect for the decision (and bravery to expose this social taboo) of those who did contribute.
I don't think that this site is just well-intention, I believe it's truly helpful in many different ways to many different people.
Thanks,
Jade