Cutting to Relieve Emotional Pain
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
Historically, self-injury has gotten very little press, but there is rising concern about youth, mostly girls, who cut themselves, and the advent of MySpace, Xanga, and other social media may mean people are talking about it more. Boys self-harm as well, but at a much lower rate. Males in our society are much more likely to engage in other risk behavior including driving too fast, fighting, and drinking too much. Cutting, self-injury, self-mutilaation, even scratching, usually starts with a need to relive emotional pressure -strong negative emotions that youth do not know how to handle any other way. Conflict at home, trouble with romantic partners, self-loathing, peer trouble, anything can trigger the need to relive the pressure, in teens predisposed to it. Cutting is often associated with other psychiatric diagnoses, including anorexia, bulimia, depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder, as well as sexual abuse.Cutting used to be a shameful, solitary expression of distress, but nowadays cutting seems to be more prevalent, and it is more likely to be done in small groups of girls curious about the experience after hearing about it some place. It tends to start with safety pins or other sharp objects, and if it is something more than curiosity, progresses to sharper objects and deeper cuts, which are required to get the same "rush" or release.
Cutting is another thing for adults to talk openly about with youth, and keep our eyes open for while checking in with the kids we care about. Signs of a problem include long sleeve shirts, gloves, blood on clothing or towels, as well as general signs for concern including a drop in grades, lack of interest in activities, etc... If you suspect your child is cutting his or herself, talk about it with them and find a counselor (with experience treating self-injury) to help. Do not postpone it - the longer it happens, the harder it is to stop because of the addiction to the rush associated with the release of endorphins. Teens should also be encouraged to help a friend who might be cutting by getting help - it is not a good idea to keep their secret - if they care about the friend, they need to tell an adult they trust.
Resources:
Self-injury a web site for the S.A.F.E. Alternatives Program, the only residential self-injury treatment program in the United States.
We're Talking Teen Health
Photo credit: Spojeni
Tags:
Labels: Emotional Health
6 Comments:
At Mon Jul 02, 11:31:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
my best friend in the whole world cuts herself i can't understand why! she has a good life! i mean she's got more friends than anyone else that i know and guys love her and her parents love her and they're still together but she says she can't help it. she doesn't really talk about it to a lot of people but i'm really worried about her. I tried it once but it hurt so bad i never did it again! i hated it and it didn't make me feel better if anything it made me feel worse! What should I do to help my bestest friend????
At Wed Jul 04, 02:20:00 PM 2007,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
I know that it is really upsetting to see a friend hurting herself and that you feel you have to make it stop. Unfortunately, you may not actually be able to make your friend quit even if you give them really good advice. Cutting is a sign that someone is struggling with problems and feelings that seem overwhelming and unbearable. It sounds as if you friend may be in this position and for some reason isn't getting the necessary help. Probably the best thing you can do is tell your friend to talk to some adult -- if not parents, then a school counselor, teacher or minister. If he or she won't talk to anyone, you may have to make the hard choice to do so yourself, even if it makes your friend angry. Good luck - you are a good friend!
At Wed Feb 27, 07:43:00 PM 2008,
Anonymous said…
i used to cut myself, and sometimes i wont even know that i do. i woke up the other day with a big gash in my thigh, and i dont know how i got it, and i got rid of all my razors. i use an electric razor for shaving, but not any blades. is this a sign of sleep walking or something? ive been to some therapist and they dont know whats wrong. what do you recomend?
At Fri Feb 29, 08:46:00 AM 2008,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
I think that you should not panic, but if you are feeling stressed or like you want to cut, that you should find a counselor familiar with cutting.
Help and information are available on the S.A.F.E. Web site (http://www.selfinjury.com/) or by calling 1-800-DONT-CUT (note: this is not a crisis hotline).
At Fri Apr 11, 02:14:00 PM 2008,
Anonymous said…
I've cut myself about 20 times since i was 16 and every time i get in an arguement with my family i get the feeling i need to cut and almost all the time i convince myself not to. i only cut when i feel like theres no escape.i dont have health insurance or any money.. where can i go for help???
At Mon Apr 14, 01:46:00 PM 2008,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
I am glad you asked for help.
The self-injury site mentioned above (http://www.selfinjury.com/index.html)
has some great FAQs and the book "Bodily Harm: The Breakthrough Healing Program for Self-Injurers" ($16) which has activities, worksheets, and other material they use in their clinic. I will review the book for Teen Health 411 very soon.
There is also a Christian Ministries crisis line they suggested that is run by the Solid Rock Youth Ministries - 1-877-332-7333 - if that appeals to you. Stay well!
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