Self Injury or Teen Cutting

Emma's mom first noticed the cuts when Emma was doing the dishes one night. Emma 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. Emma's story hits the homes of teenagers around the world. Parents, teachers and friends have seen the marks, however accept many explanations except the truth. The truth is adolescent depression, confusion, fear and is seen more and more frequently in girls than boys.

Why Do People Cut Themselves? It can be hard to understand why people cut themselves on purpose. Cutting is a way some people try to cope 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 can't 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. Those that Self-Injure (SI) themselves might be a sign of other abuse the child is experiencing in the home or with teen relationships. This type of abuse includes; mental, physical, sexual and neglect. Often if children are not getting their basic needs fulfilled at home, they reach out to others to acquire these necessities. Teens who cut themselves many times want to be discovered. Many don't know there are other ways to address the many emotions they are feeling.

How Does Cutting Start? Cutting often begins on an impulse. It's not something the person thinks about ahead of time. Shauna says, "It starts when something's really upsetting and you don't know how to talk about it or what to do. But you can't get your mind off feeling upset, and your body has this knot of emotional pain. Before you know it, you're cutting yourself. And then somehow, you're in another place. Then, the next time you feel awful about something, you try it again — and slowly it becomes a habit."

Natalie, a high-school junior who started cutting in middle school, explains that it was a way to distract herself from feelings of rejection and helplessness she felt she couldn't bear. "I never looked at it as anything that bad at first — just my way of getting my mind off something I felt really awful about. I guess part of me must have known it was a bad thing to do, though, because I always hid it. Once a friend asked me if I was cutting myself and I even lied and said 'no.' I was embarrassed."

What can you do to help a cutting friend? Look for signs of cutting. Your friend wearing long sleeve shirts to hide SI. Your friend becoming a loner and spending less time with you. Help them, help themselves by;

• Talk about it
• Tell someone
• Help your friend find resources
• Help your friend find alternatives to cutting
• Acknowledge your friend's pain
• Be a good role model

What should you not do, as a friend? Do not deliver ultimatums, don't accidently reinforce the behavior and do not join in. By doing these things, you will only be adding to the pain your friend is experiencing.

What should you do to prevent further injury to yourself? Tell someone, ask for help and help identify the troubles that are causing you to self-injure yourself. Although cutting can be a difficult pattern to break, it is possible. Getting professional help to overcome the problem doesn't mean that a person is weak or crazy. Therapists and counselors are trained to help people discover inner strengths that help them heal. These inner strengths can then be used to cope with life's other problems in a healthy way.

Scars express the hardships she had to endure. Outside she is healed. Inside she still bleeds. Longing for someone to bandage her. A poem from a cutter.