When Outsiders Become Numb
People have varying reactions when they learn that you have, in the past, engaged in self injury. Loved ones often ask you to promise that you will never do it again. Since it is impossible to predict the future, and I don't like to make promises I'm not confident I can keep, I politely reply that I will reach out for help when I need it - but I can't make any guarantees. Some people don't want to hear it, including those who don't believe you should have talked about it in the first place. It's personal, it's ugly, it's shameful, and it should be kept to yourself. Then there are the ones who have known about it so long, they no longer react. They may sigh or roll their eyes, but then they turn away. Maybe they are in pain, too, and it is a protective mechanism. Maybe they've become numb after all these years. Or maybe, a tiny voice says, they no longer care about you. Would anything make them care again? Those insidious thoughts inspired the poe