Self-Harm Awareness!

[Sia]

March 1st is Self Harm Awareness day. Please wear orange to support those who suffer from this, such as my brother.

[seiuchiblarg]

Indeed. I know I'll be wearing orange!

[Sia]

After checking my wardrobe, I'm going to the store later tonight. XD

[Diatenshi]

Cutting: The Bloody Truth
Blood slowly drips to the floor. A knife clatters to the ground. The mother walks into investigate. At first she thinks her teenage daughter is just sleeping on the bed; that is until she sees the blood and knife. She screams horrified, and the sound carries three houses away. The father rushes in to see what happened. He sees his daughter lying lifeless on her bed. He rushes to her side terrified and checks for a pulse. Nothing. Not one beat. This is the horrible reality many parents are now finding themselves in. Cutting, though it is not new, has become more of an issue recently. More and more teens are trying it. In certain groups it’s even become popular. More people need to be aware of cutting because most don’t know what it is, why it’s hard to overcome, and the risks associated with it.
Cutting is an issue shrouded in mystery for most folks. There are many misconceptions about it. The reasons people do it, the causes; some people don’t even know what cutting is. Many people think it’s a suicide attempt or an attention seeking behavior. This is hardly ever the case. “It’s not meant as a suicide attempt (“Self-injury”).” Cutting is the intentional severing of one’s skin usually with a knife or sharp piece of glass. It is usually used a coping mechanism to deal with extreme levels of distress. There are many different causes. “Cutting is often linked to – or part of- another mental condition (“Cutting”).” Depression and bipolar disorder are two examples. Emotional instability can also be a cause. “For others, post-traumatic stress has had an effect on their ability to cope (“Cutting”).” They don’t know how else to deal with stress. “For many kids, it’s the result of a repressive home environment, where negative emotions are swept under the carpet (Davis).” It becomes a way of expression when they have no other way. So, while it may be to get attention, or a suicide attempt, it doesn’t usually start that way.
People understand how a smoker can have trouble quitting, but they can’t understand why a cutter can have trouble quitting. That’s because they don’t know it’s addicting, as strange as that may seem. “As with other compulsive behaviors, the brain starts to connect a sense of relief from bad feelings with the act of cutting. Whenever the tension builds, the brain craves that relief and drives the teen to seek relief again by cutting (“Cutting”).” Also other mental conditions might have to be treated before a person can stop. “For some, depression or bipolar disorder can contribute to overwhelming moods that may be difficult for a teen to regulate (“Cutting”).” And because it’s so hard to overcome alone, a teen needs a strong support system else they might fall back into the habit. They need to learn better ways to cope and needs people that will help them in their time of need. Quitting can be just as hard for cutters, as it can be for smokers.
Those that cut need to open their eyes; no matter how careful they are they can’t avoid all the risks associated with cutting. Even though cutting isn’t a suicide attempt, it has the potential to make people sick through infections. Cutting can put a serious strain on relationships with friends and family (“Cutting”). Trust between the parent and kid vanishes. And obviously cutting has physical risk associated with it. Scars will make people judge them, making it harder to get a job. If they cut to deep, they could bleed to death or have permanent nerve damage. Also there is a severe risk of infection. Gangrene for example, could lead to blood poisoning, or necessary amputation, or MRSA that will eat away at the body. Cutting can also affect your career. In order to join the U.S. Army you can’t have cut for three years. Nerve damage can keep you out of work if you can’t use your hands.
Awareness of cutting needs to increase because most don’t know what it is, why it’s hard to overcome and the risk associated with it. It has life altering impacts that can’t be undone. So next March 1 wear an orange ribbon to spread awareness.