Teen
Issues: Cutting for stress release
Depression should not be seen as
just feeling down one day or experiencing a wave of sadness for a little while;
it is rather a serious medical condition. It is a psychological and mental
disorder that can affect not only one’s mood but also one’s self-esteem, emotional and mental health, and possibly physical
health. This feeling of depression may lead to several persons harming and
possibly even killing themselves as a way of release. One such method is
cutting.
The term ‘cutting’ is used to define the act of 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. The persons who generally cut themselves
are girls, but there are cases in which males self-injure themselves too.
Persons who cut usually start cutting in their early
teens. However, some do continue to cut into adulthood.
Cutting often begins on an impulse. It is not something the
person thinks about ahead of time. The places where persons generally cut
themselves are on their wrists, arms, legs, or bellies. In addition to that,
some persons self-injure by burning their skin with the end of a cigarette or
lighted match. When these cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars or marks.
People who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks by wearing layers
of clothing and long-sleeved shirts and blouses, even during the hottest times
of the year so that no one will know of their habit.
It is sometimes hard to understand why people cut
themselves on purpose. Cutting is a way some people try to cope with the pain
of strong emotions (e.g. strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection,
desperation, longing, or emptiness), 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.
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.
Although cutting may provide some temporary relief from a
terrible feeling, even those who cut agree that it is not a good way to get
that relief. For one thing, the relief does not last forever. The troubles that
triggered the cutting remain — they're just masked over.
The dangers of cutting are endless. This
includes the risk of losing too much blood or getting an infection. It is very 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 — razors, scissors, pins, or even the sharp edge of the tab on a
can of soda. But there are hidden emotional dangers to
cutting as well. This includes feelings of helplessness, compulsion or
addiction to cutting, whereby 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. A behavior
that you began as an attempt to feel more in control can end up controlling
you.
You cannot force
someone who self-injures to stop. It doesn't help to get mad at a friend or
family member who cuts, reject that person, lecture the person, or
beg him or her to stop. Instead, let your friend or family member know that you
care, that he or she deserves to be healthy and happy, and that no one needs to
bear their troubles alone. Advise the person to seek professional help with
getting control of their life and stopping this horrible habit.
Getting
Help
There are
better ways to deal with troubles than cutting — healthier, long-lasting ways
that don't leave a person with emotional and physical scars. The first step is to
get help with the troubles that led to the cutting in the first place. Here are
some ideas for doing that:
1. Tell someone. If
you are experiencing severe feelings of depression or seem to be harming
yourself in some way (cutting, starving, emotional put-downs or any other way)
the first thing you need to do is to seek help. Look to a guidance counsellor,
pastor, therapist, parent, a relative, role model, peer counsellor or any adult
you trust and feel most comfortable in taking with. If it's too difficult to bring up the topic in person,
write a note. People who have stopped cutting often say the first step is the
hardest — admitting to or talking about cutting. But they also say that after
they open up about it, they often feel a great sense of relief.
2. Identify the
trouble that's triggering the cutting. Cutting is a way of reacting to
emotional tension or pain. Try to figure out what feelings or situations are
causing you to cut. Is it anger? Pressure to be perfect? Relationship trouble?
A painful loss or trauma? Mean criticism or mistreatment? Identify the trouble
you're having, then tell someone about it. Many people have trouble figuring
this part out on their own. This is where a mental health professional can be
helpful.
3. Ask for help.
Tell someone that you want help dealing with your troubles and the cutting. If
the person you ask doesn't help you get the assistance you need, ask someone
else. Sometimes adults try to downplay the problems teens have or think they're
just a phase. If you get the feeling this is happening to you, find another
adult (such as a school counselor or nurse) who can make your case for you.
4. Work on it.
Most people with deep emotional pain or distress need to work with a counselor
or mental health professional to sort through strong feelings, heal past hurts,
and to learn better ways to cope with life's stresses. One way to find a
therapist or counselor is to ask at your doctor's office, at school, or at a
mental health clinic in your community.
Source:http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html#
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