I think wanting sympathy is a way of being recognized when no one ever has before. You are hurting to the core, and to bring attention to yourself helps to ease that for a time being. Also during that time you don't have to think about your problems and issue. It takes the focus off of those.

It might be too that it would just be nice is someone else could just take the pain away. I think many of us here are guilty of this. While it dosen't work long term, it does help ease some of the shit.

I wonder also if it is just another bad coping skill we develop????