I suppose a reason to tell your pastor would be that dealing with this alone hasn't done you much good, and in spite of the difficulty talking about it a therapist would have many excercises for you try instead of self harm.

Reasons not to tell them might include the idea that people won't see you the same after, and that the getting help process will be long and excruciating.

I think the more time you spend in silence would be more upsetting to your loved ones, and that it'll be much better if you admit it of your own free will, rather than being discovered accidentally.

Good luck

Yeah, your right. It hasnt done me much good keeping all of this in. But I dont know what to say to him! I wouldnt know where to begin. Its all emotions. He knows about my past, and I think he has an idea why I do all of this to myself. But I dont. So I wish he would tell me his theory\, because their usually right. But I've heard that another reason for people hurting themselves is because they feel so ugly and horrible on the inside, so they have to make the outside look like the inside... I think that's what I do. When I heard this, it struck a cord... but anyways, I just dont really know how to go about and talk to him. Because if I talk to him once, I know it will become a regular thing. He would be my theropist and councelor, I know he would be...

Yeah, your right, people would look at me diffrently. I dont want them to look at me and say poor thing... heck, I dont want them looking at me at all.

...thats also the thing with recovery. I dont want to stop cutting. It helps. And so far its been the only thing I have. I dont know if im ready to let that go... but if I tell my pastor about this, then im going to have to, because he would check my arms and what not for new marks. Or at least get my parents to do so.

I dont want them to find out by accident... that would be horrible...dang, I dont know what to do!