never heard of self-harm at the red cross -_-

[cimorene]

Oh, I forgot to mention that the other week I was in a room full of people who had never heard of cutting!

It was the Red Cross first aid thing, and we were learning about bandaging wounds, burns, and breaks, and the instructor mentioned that cutting along the vein is more effective for bleeding out than cutting perpendicular to it. Which, duh. But apparently I was the only one there who knew it, and immediately this tiresome lady behind me pipes up, "Well, thank goodness all these people who try to commit suicide don't know that! Because they always cut sideways!" The instructor agreed that that was more common and she went on, "Because a few times I've seen people with scars and scabs just covering - all up and down their arms! I guess they just keep trying!" The instructor said that she had encountered those too, and it was very sad, but that in such cases they didn't really want to die, it was more a cry for help.

I said that actually, sometimes people just cut (or harm) themselves because they want to, with no intention of committing suicide at all. Blank looks. "They don't always intend to show them to other people," I said, fumbling for expressive phrases in Swedish.

Nothing doing. Blank looks all around. "Um," said the instructor, "it can be a cry for help, but then you have to tell people about it in order to get help so yeah, they definitely want people to find out."

"Yeah, I think it's more likely that they just don't know the more effective way!" chirped the annoying woman behind me.

"Yeah, probably," agreed the instructor.

And I was just sitting there with my face like o_@ did that just happen.

These things never happen to me in English, because in English I'm never left speechless, and am generally eloquent and multisyllabic regardless of whether the people I'm talking to buy it. You wouldn't get the impression that I was just confused and didn't know what I was talking about in English. Although, honestly, I didn't use any hesitating words or say "maybe" or "probably" or anything. It's not like I'm dubious about the existence of self-harm or anything. Ngöalksdjö condescending jackasses.

Comments

[aquaeri]

Never heard of cutting? At a first aid course? They should be ashamed.

[phosfate]

"Yeah, I think it's more likely that they just don't know the more effective way!"

GOD INORITE? It's like gay men. What is up with that? They'll never make a baby that way!

[cimorene]

I know not every profession requires the same skills and talents but perhaps there should be SOME minimum bar for home health carers (the other pupils)/Red Cross instructors.