Cutting: Why on earth would anyone do that to themselves?
Cutting is a form of self injury, in which an individual self-harms by making scratches or cuts with sharp objects that pierce through the skin. It is not typically meant as a suicide attempt,
but it can sometimes result in serious or even fatal injuries. Why would anyone do this? Cutters say it’s so that they can feel SOMETHING other than the emotions they are trying to avoid. It ultimately is an unhealthy form of coping.
The typical cutter is a teen or young adult, usually female. Most cutters tend to keep their self-destructive obsession a secret. This intensifies an already heavy burden that can affect daily functioning such as school, work, and relationships. Isolating is the worst possible choice to cope with loneliness or feeling trapped or misunderstood. Yet for cutters, it feels like the only possible choice.
For any loved one of a cutter, the situation can be shocking, overwhelming, and terrifying. For the cutter, the situation can develop into a seemingly endless cycle of isolation, loneliness, pain and shame.
Let the trained therapists at Lifeworks help you move through this difficult and confusing time.
Call us if you or someone you love is:
- unsure how to express overwhelming emotions
- using unhealthy coping mechanisms to illustrate what is happening inside
- trying to substitute physical pain for emotional pain
- trying to escape emotions
- seeking temporary relief from pain, anxiety, sadness, fear, shame, loneliness, guilt, anger, etc. by self-harming
Resources:
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html
