For more information on helping your teen, please call:
1.800.255.TEEN
Cutting
What is it?
- Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) defines self-injury, also known as cutting or self-mutilation, as when someone intentionally and repeatedly harms herself/himself. The method most often used is cutting but other common behaviors include burning, punching, and drinking something harmful, like bleach or detergent.
Who does it?
- It’s estimated that about two million people in the U.S. injure themselves in some way. The majority are teenagers or young adults with young women outnumbering young men. They are of all races and backgrounds.
Why?
- Often, people say they hurt themselves to express emotional pain or feelings they can’t put into words.
- It can be a way to have control over your body when you can’t control anything else in your life. A lot of people who cut themselves also have an eating disorder.
- Although they usually aren’t trying to kill themselves, sometimes they’re unable to control the injury and die accidentally.
What are the warning signs?
- Wearing long sleeves during warm months
- Patterns of cuts - typically small white scars found on the inside of arms, legs, and abdomen
- Circular burn marks
- Discovering salt and/or rubbing alcohol in unusual locations (to rub in their cuts or scratches)
- Severe mood swings
- Adoption of “gothic” dress
- Collections of sharp objects including razors, knives, broken glass, scissors, etc.
- History of drug abuse
- History of Eating Disorder, especially Bulimia
- Isolation and withdrawal
- Unusual excuses for suspicious scratches and superficial cuts
- Preoccupation with cutting or self-harm websites
How do I help my child?
- Effective treatment for addiction to cutting and self-mutilation should incorporate modalities such as Cognitive Therapy, Twelve Step Model, and a Relapse Prevention Model. The use of a secure, highly-structured treatment unit such as the Admission and Assessment Unit at Peninsula Village helps provide initial stabilization for adolescents during their crisis phase. Call 1-800-255-TEEN or email for more information.
Peninsula Village is a not-for-profit program and part of a comprehensive behavioral health system that has served clients for more than 30 years. The Village is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and is licensed by the State of Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. In addition, the Village is a member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP).
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