|
Cutting involves making repeated, intentional wounds to one’s own skin with a sharp instrument. It is the most common form of self-injury, and is different from a suicide attempt because there is no intent to die.
Cutting may be performed in an attempt to reduce emotional tension. The person performing the act may believe there is no other way to obtain emotional release except through drawing blood or feeling sharp, physical pain. A private act, cutting is usually performed when an individual is alone, and the resulting scars are hidden from others.
Those who cut themselves may also engage in other methods of self-injury, including hair-pulling, head-banging, punching, scratching and burning with cigarettes. Of these, both cutting and burning are considered methods of self-mutilation, a specific type of self-injury that involves the deliberate disfigurement of skin tissue.
Cutting is a serious, harmful behavior that usually appears in conjunction with mental illnesses including borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety disorders and psychosis.
This type of chronic self-injury appears to affect more females than males and typically first occurs during adolescence. Cutting can develop into a pattern of self-destructive behavior that continues into adulthood. A thorough psychiatric evaluation is needed for a diagnosis of the problem. Treatment is often a combination of medication and psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. Although cutting is not performed with suicidal intent, people who practice it have an increased risk of future suicidal behavior. |
/happyarms_89.jpg "Sneeze No More")