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Access through your institution. Add or change institution. Save Preferences. I was all about those cuts — like they were something about me that only I knew. They were like my own way of controlling things. I don't cut myself anymore, but now I have to deal with the scars. You can't force someone who self-injures to stop.
It doesn't help to get mad at a friend who cuts, reject that person, lecture her, or beg him to stop. Instead, let your friend know that you care, that he or she deserves to be healthy and happy, and that no one needs to bear their troubles alone. Girls and guys who self-injure are often dealing with some heavy troubles. Many work hard to overcome difficult problems. So they find it hard to believe that some kids cut just because they think it's a way to seem tough and rebellious.
Tia tried cutting because a couple of the girls at her school were doing it. So I did it once. But then I thought about how lame it was to do something like that to myself for no good reason. Next time they asked I just said, 'no, thanks — it's not for me.
If you have a friend who suggests you try cutting, say what you think. Why get pulled into something you know isn't good for you? There are plenty of other ways to express who you are. Lindsay had been cutting herself for 3 years because of abuse she suffered as a child. She's 16 now and hasn't cut herself in more than a year. 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:.
Although cutting can be a difficult pattern to break, it is possible. Getting professional help to overcome the problem doesn't mean that a person is weak or crazy. Therapists and counselors are trained to help people discover inner strengths that help them heal. These inner strengths can then be used to cope with life's other problems in a healthy way. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Cutting? Why Do People Cut Themselves? How Does Cutting Start? Here are some ideas for doing that: Tell someone.
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. Choose someone you trust to talk to at first a parent, school counselor, teacher, coach, doctor, or nurse. If it's too difficult to bring up the topic in person, write a note. 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?
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