I think what we have to think about here is more "not what is the man saying (or in this case doing) but what is he trying to communicate" This is true of many people who self harm, for many reasons, whether they are threats or actions. For example, someone who says "if you leave i will kill myself" may not actually mean that he will hurt himself, or that he actually wants to die, he could easily be saing that "If you leave i will feel so hurt and abandoned i feel that i will not be able to live". this IS i guess what people are calling 'attention seeking' but i feel that its more a legitimate cry for someone else to understand and to experience how deeply someone is feeling. I don't know how well that reads, lol, or if it makes sence, but i've been quite shocked at a very few of the comments here, and felt i would like to attempt to put across my viewpoint!! Rx