Teenage Cutting and Self Injury

Cutting has been recognized as having an addictive quality; that is, there’s an overwhelming preoccupation with the relief experienced after a cutting incident. Self-injury is a negative way of dealing with strong emotions, and can include cutting, scratching, burning, mutilating or hitting oneself, or anything else that causes bodily harm. According to CNN.com, one in five teens say they have purposely injured themselves at some time. It is most common in the adolescent and teenage years and affects teens from both sexes and all backgrounds, though the National Mental Health Association and S.A.F.E. Alternatives report that those who seek help for self-injury are more likely to be teenage girls from middle or upper class backgrounds.

Some of the reasons teens self-injure or self-mutilate include:: not knowing how to deal with stress, an unresolved history of abuse, low self esteem, feelings of loneliness or fear, a need to feel in control, mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, wanting to get the attention of people who can help them, peer pressure and curiosity.

Though teen self-injury or self-mutilation is not deemed to be an overt suicide attempt, many teens who self-injure also engage in other risky behaviors such as drinking and drug use, or suffer from eating disorders associated with troubled teens. Teens who self-injure or self-mutilate often do not know how to ask for help, so it is important to watch for the signs that a teen may be harming themselves. These signs are, unexplained injuries, such as cuts, scratches, burns, bruises, making excuses for injuries or scars if they are discovered, wearing long sleeves even in hot weather, withdrawal, having trouble dealing with emotions, a history of eating disorders, having trouble functioning at work, school, and in relationships, low self esteem. Self-injury and self-mutilation is an often addictive behavior, and can become increasingly serious.

It is possible for a teen to stop cutting or stop other forms of self-injurious behavior, but it usually requires professional help.