Cutting, a rather new phenomenon to me, seems to be spreading like wildfire. I saw my first case about 5 years ago. Now, I have about 4-5 cases yearly.

I recently read that about 1% of the American population deal with sadness, depression, a feeling of hopelessness, by cutting. I have seen cuts on the wrist, forearms, and legs. Just recently I watched a movie about a young girl who cut her stomach.

The students that I have seen thus far have been girls and I am told that cutting is more common in girls. Cleaning the wound is my first step after which I explain how dangerous cutting can be (infections, scarring, shock from blood loss and even death).

After talking with the my students I gather that they are experiencing so much pain inside that cutting themselves brings relief from the internal pain. The other bad thing about cutting is that they tell me they feel addicted to it and it is very hard to stop. The longer they do it the harder it is to stop.

I personally do not like pain and have difficulty understanding how someone could intentionally cut themselves but I do empathize with the students. I try to encourage them to use other ways of dealing with their problems, such as talking with someone they trust, eliminate stresses by taking a walk or shower, write down what they are feeling or draw a picture. I always contact the parent, alert the student’s counselor and advise further counseling.