Posted by kid_A on May 1, 2002, at 14:49:52
In reply to Any cutters??? Please help my 12yr old, posted by cmcdougall on May 1, 2002, at 13:10:09
hi carly,
first in my experience cutting is typically not a 'plea for help' nor a 'gesture of suicide', it is an outlet for feelings when there seems to be no other alternatives...as i understand it, cutting is more prevalant in girls than in boys by a wide margin...
> How old were you when you started cutting and what was the triggering incident?
probably 16 or a little earlier, anything taumatic could trigger it, but not necisarily some thing specific, it could just be a result of some form of depression...
> What was your sneakiest way of hiding it?
long sleeves, i cut my arms mostly so i couldnt wear short sleeve shirts... cutting other parts of the body are probably easier to conceal
> What events would compel you to cut?
feeling rejected, lonliness, feeling helpless against depression, its not necisarily tied to a reality, like my father beat me so i cut myself, but something in your mind, a feeling of being trapped...
> What was your favorite body part to cut?
arms, mostly left as im right handed...
> In hindsight, what could anyone have done to help you?
this is a hard question to answer because it's difficult to say why some people cut and others don't... it's important to find ways of coping that do not involve cutting, ways that the cutter will be comfortable with, its probable that the cutter allready feels some form of alienation because they have chosen cutting rather than talking about their problems as a means of dealing with them...
it's important not to make the cutter feel worse about the event then they allready do, cutters typically don't 'show off' their work because there is a certain stigma to cutting, and bridging the gap of communication about it is an important but difficult task...
> How can I help my beloved 12 yr old stepdaughter who was recently caught cutting? She has been treated over the past year for VERY serious OCD, and claims this was the first incident of cutting. She cut her upper arm in rage and frustration w/ a pair of scissors after an argument w/ her "best friend".
be understanding, open, unacusatory, try to find ways that you can help this person as a 'friend' not an adult... its not something that will magically go away and there may be other incidents unfortunately, treat the problems that lead to the cutting first, explore new coping mechanisms, thats the best way to prevent it.
good luck
k|A
poster:kid_A
thread:22955
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020430/msgs/22957.html