Teen Life How's Teens Deal With...
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Cutting Why Do People Cut Themselves? - The Consequences - How Have I Been Able to Relate? Carrie's mom first noticed the cuts when Carrie was doing the dishes one night. Carrie told her mom that their cat had scratched her. Her mom seemed surprised that the cat had been so rough, but she didn't think much more about it. Carrie's friends had noticed something strange as well. Even when the weather was hot, Carrie wore long-sleeved shirts. She had become secretive, too, like something was bothering her. But Carrie couldn't seem to find the words to tell her mom or her friends that the marks on her arms were from something that she had done. She was cutting herself with a razor when she felt sad or upset. Does this sound familiar? Injuring yourself on purpose by making scratches or cuts on your body with a sharp object, enough to break the skin and make it bleed, is called cutting. Cutting is a type of self-injury, or SI. Most people who cut are girls, but guys self-injure, too. People who cut usually start cutting in their young teens. Some even continue to cut into adulthood. People may cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs, bellies, etc. Some people self-injure by burning their skin with the end of a cigarette or lighted match.When cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars or marks. People who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks and sometimes no one else knows. Over the past year, one in five females and one in seven males have engaged in some form of self-injury type behavior. Almost 50% of self-abusers begin at the age of 14 and continue into their 20's. Signs:
It can be hard to understand why people cut themselves on purpose. Cutting is a way some people try to cope and deal with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems. They may be dealing with feelings that seem too difficult to bear, or bad situations they think won't ever change. Some people cut because they feel desperate for relief from bad feelings. People who cut may not know better ways to get relief from emotional pain or pressure. Some people cut to express strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing, or emptiness. There are other ways to cope with difficulties, even big problems and terrible emotional pain. The help of a mental health professional might be needed for major life troubles or overwhelming emotions. For other tough situations or strong emotions, it can help put things in perspective to talk problems over with parents, other adults, or friends. Getting plenty of exercise can also help put problems in perspective and help balance emotions. But people who cut may not have developed ways to cope. Or their coping skills may be overpowered by emotions that are too intense. When emotions don't get expressed in a healthy way, tension can build up, sometimes to a point where it seems almost unbearable. Cutting may be an attempt to relieve that extreme tension. For some, it seems like a way of feeling in control. The urge to cut might be triggered by strong feelings the person can't express, such as anger, hurt, shame, frustration, or alienation. People who cut sometimes say they feel they don't fit in or that no one understands them. A person might cut because of losing someone close or to escape a sense of emptiness. Cutting might seem like the only way to find relief or express personal pain over relationships or rejection. People who cut or self-injure sometimes have other mental health problems that contribute to their emotional tension. Cutting is sometimes (but not always) associated with depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive thinking, or compulsive behaviors. It can also be a sign of mental health problems that cause people to have trouble controlling their impulses or to take unnecessary risks. Some people who cut themselves have problems with drug or alcohol abuse. Some people who cut have had a traumatic experience, such as living through abuse, violence, or a disaster. Self-injury may feel like a way of "waking up" from a sense of numbness after a traumatic experience. Or it may be a way of re-inflicting the pain they went through, expressing anger over it, or trying to get control of it. Although cutting may provide some temporary relief from a terrible feeling, even people who cut agree that it isn't a good way to get that relief. For one thing, the relief doesn't last. The troubles that triggered the cutting remain, they're just masked over.
People don't usually intend to hurt themselves permanently when they cut. And they don't usually mean to keep cutting once they start. But both can happen. It's possible to misjudge the depth of a cut, making it so deep that it requires stitches (or, in extreme cases, hospitalization). Cuts can become infected if a person uses non-sterile or dirty cutting instruments such as, razors, scissors, pins, or even the sharp edge of the tab on a can of soda. Most people who cut aren't attempting suicide. Cutting is usually a person's attempt at feeling better, not ending it all. Although some people who cut do attempt suicide, it's usually because of the emotional problems and pain that lie behind their desire to self-harm, not the cutting itself. Cutting can be addictive. It can become a compulsive behavior, meaning that the more a person does it, the more he or she feels the need to do it. The brain starts to connect the false sense of relief from bad feelings to the act of cutting, and it craves this relief the next time tension builds. When cutting becomes a compulsive behavior, it can seem impossible to stop. So cutting can seem almost like an addiction, where the urge to cut can seem too hard to resist. A behavior that starts as an attempt to feel more in control can end up controlling you. What Should You Do If A Loved One Is Cutting? If you have a loved one who engages in self-injury, you may not know what to do. You may be shocked, dismayed and scared. Learning more about self-injury can help you understand why it occurs and help you develop a compassionate but firm approach. If your loved one is an adult, gently encourage him or her to seek medical treatment. If it's your child, you can start by consulting your pediatrician or family doctor, who can provide an initial evaluation or a referral to a mental health specialist. Don't yell at your child or make threats or accusations, that may just make the situation more volatile. How Have I Been Able to Relate? This is a very tough subject for me. I myself have dealt with cutting first hand. I know what it's like to feel at the lowest point possible. I've dealt with it for almost 2 years now. My loved ones are aware that I cut, and if not, they're in denial. I've been through things just like every other teenager, maybe not as extreme, but still equally affecting. I've experienced all of the symptoms. From the less eating, stupid excuses, and the depression. Even though my friends and family know, not one of them has ever asked me to stop, except my Best Friend. He's the only one that's ever cared enough to ask me to stop. Unfortunately, even that didn't make me want to stop. It WAS like I was addicted. Every time I got mad, or frustrated, or depressed my brain told me to cut. And I did so. Over and over. I have never once done it for attention. Honestly, that was the last thing I wanted. I realized too late that I won't stop cutting until I want to, not when someone else wants me to. My loved ones think that I've stopped, but deep down I don't think I ever will. It's kind of like smoking. Sure you've quit for a long time, but your body will always crave the taste of the Nicotine. My body will always want to cut, no matter how long I've quit for. Sources & Links on Cutting:
Remember, I'm here to help you the readers, with everyday problems and situations. If you have any ideas for an article, that you want addressed, feel free to e-mail me! Love, Christina |
