Syracuse Parent and CNY Family

Dr. Monica Jones is a pediatrician with Syracuse Pediatrics. Reach her at www.syracusepediatrics.com. To send a health-related question to the doctor, write to editor@syracuseparent.net

Self cutting can mean cry for help
Posted on Tue, May 8th, 2007
Written by: Monica Jones, MD, Pediatrician/Syracuse Pediatrics
email: editor@syracuseparent.net

It happens all too often – a parent comes in and begins their story with “I couldn’t understand why she always wore long sleeves – until I saw her arms.” The discovery that your child is cutting can be a devastating one. But you are not alone. Estimates are that almost 2 million people are practicing this in the US alone. So what is it and what can we do about it?
Cutting is a type of self injury. It involves scratching or cutting your body with a sharp object enough to break the skin. It is more common in girls than boys. These injuries leave both physical scars as well as emotional ones. Kids often hide these scars from their friends and families.
It is hard to understand why people intentionally hurt themselves. It can be a way to deal with emotions that seem overwhelming to them—stress at home or school, problems with friends and social situations. Sadly, as cutting becomes more popular, some children are doing this because they think it is cool or daring.
These kids feel that the cutting gives them temporary relief from the bad feelings they are having. But that relief is short lived and doesn’t deal with the underlying issue. Eventually they learn that these cutting behaviors do not help them feel better emotionally.
Kids who start cutting don’t intend to hurt themselves permanently and probably think they would only do it once or twice but it is often difficult to stop once they start. Most of these kids are truly not trying to kill themselves. It’s just a way to try and make themselves feel better and in more control of their lives. It becomes a compulsive behavior that they can’t easily stop.
It is important to know that you cannot force someone to stop cutting. There are steps you can take to help though. Talk to your child calmly. Let her/him know that you see the cuts and want to help. DON’T BE JUDGEMENTAL. Your child is not doing this to hurt you. Then find someone for your child to talk to—a parent, teacher, counselor, religious clergy. Many teens say that once they start talking to someone, they feel relieved. Try and help your child discover what the feeling or stress is that is triggering the cutting. A counselor can be very helpful with this.
While cutting can be a difficult problem, it is possible to overcome it with the right help. Your child can learn to find healthy alternative ways to cope with the stresses in their life.

Dr. Monica Jones is a pediatrician with Syracuse Pediatrics. Reach her at www.syracusepediatrics.com. To send a health-related question to the doctor, write to editor@syracuseparent.net