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[/

Why do people cut? - Cutting Treatment / Self Harm

Although cutting may provide some temporary relief from a terrible feeling, even people who cut agree that it isn't a good way to get that relief. For one thing, the relief doesn't last. The troubles that triggered the cutting remain — they're just masked over.

People don't usually intend to hurt themselves permanently when they cut. And they don't usually mean to keep cutting once they start. But both can happen. It's possible to misjudge the depth of a cut, making it so deep that it requires stitches (or, in extreme cases, hospitalization). Cuts can become infected if a person uses non-sterile or dirty cutting instruments — razors, scissors, pins, or even the sharp edge of the tab on a can of soda.

Most people who cut aren't attempting suicide. Cutting is usually a person's attempt at feeling better, not ending it all. Although some people who cut do attempt suicide, it's usually because of the emotional problems and pain that lie behind their desire to self-harm, not the cutting itself.

Cutting can be habit forming. It can become a compulsive behavior — meaning that the more a person does it, the more he or she feels the need to do it. The brain starts to connect the false sense of relief from bad feelings to the act of cutting, and it craves this relief the next time tension builds. When cutting becomes a compulsive behavior, it can seem impossible to stop. So cutting can seem almost like an addiction, where the urge to cut can seem too hard to resist. A behavior that starts as an attempt to feel more in control can end up controlling you.

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.

Tell someone about your cutting problem. 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? Identify the trouble you're having, then tell someone about it. Many people have trouble figuring this part out on their own. This is where a mental health professional can be helpful.

Ask for help. Tell someone that you want help dealing with your troubles and the cutting. If the person you ask doesn't help you get the assistance you need, ask someone else. Sometimes adults try to downplay the problems teens have or think they're just a phase. If you get the feeling this is happening to you, find another adult (such as a school counselor or nurse) who can make your case for you.

Contact professionals/facilities that will help you with your cutting problem. Most people with deep emotional pain or distress need to work with a counselor or mental health professional to sort through strong feelings, heal past hurts, and to learn better ways to cope with life's stresses. 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.

Inspirations Teen Rehab 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.

Reach out to us. Recovery from cutting is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here please contact us.

Teen Addiction Help: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Addiction Treatment for Young Adults and Adults : 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com%20/