Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Coping by Cutting


Difficult and often unbearable, coping with psychological issues takes a toll on its victims, especially young teens. Bottled emotions can build up causing the sufferer to look for any way out of pain. In some cases causing pain becomes a way to release pain.

When a teenage victim of incest in Southeast Missouri finally sought the help of a therapist, all the emotional damage and psychological pain she had been carrying around was showing up as cuts and bruises on her body. Tearing her flesh with a paper clip or razor blade she claimed it was a sort of catharsis, relief from the pain in her mind. Jeff Johnston, a psychotherapist with Cape Girardeau-based Associated Counseling Services said he has seen more clients battling self-injury in recent years, most of them young, more female than male. He sees them as young as middle school age teens, and the incidents of cutting tend to get worse as they get older. Guidance counselors and mental health specialists in Southeast Missouri say while the numbers aren't at an all time high yet the incidents are still quite alarming.

Concern is growing for this apparent new trend among teenagers that leaves them not only in need for medical attention but also with more severe psychological damage than before. Although the numbers are hard to track, an estimated one percent of the total U.S. population, around 3 million Americans, shows signs of self-injurious behavior. Another study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology reported rates of 4 percent. A 2004 British study, "Young People and Self-Harm," estimates 10 percent of people ages 11 to 25 self-injure. These studies have also shown that women are more likely to use cutting for psychological relief than men. A number of researchers claim that it is a cry for attention while others believe it is about control that cutters feel that by hurting themselves they have control over their feelings. There is also the notion that cutters are following a trend, a way to fit in with their peers. Mental health professionals have warned that cutters are in a constant state of recovery and that they may substitute cutting by other self-destructive behaviors such as drug abuse. The realization that these behaviors are damaging is the only way to prevent this self- abuse form progressing.

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. Inspirations Teen Rehab has created a behavioral treatment program for teens who are cutting. The behavior treatment program includes therapeutic methods and skill building activities:

• Psychotherapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Trauma Therapy
• Individual Therapy
• Group Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Recreational Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Music Therapy
• Anger Management Skills
• Stress Management Skills
• Coping Skills
• Decision Making Skills
• Motivational Skills


• Communication Skills
• Team Building Skills
• Life Skills
• Physical Exercise Program
• Therapeutic High School Academic Program

For more information on our therapies and programs please visit us on the web.
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237

http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-3876237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com[/

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