Micki I too felt the same way as you, I just did not get it, but coming on this thread has explained it very well, and I now have some understanding, I guess some people turn to drugs, food,alcohol or cutting, its just a way of releasing your emotional pain, please correct me if I got it wrong here.

For me it is a little hard to understand wanting pain, I have daily pain due to having fibromyalgia, and I would do anything not to have it, I did not choose to have this pain, and someone who cuts themselves does,so inflicting pain on oneself is extremely hard for me to fathom, but I am beginning to understand it a little.

I am not sure that it is not a form of a mental illness though, and i mean that ever so respectfully, just my thoughts.