Until recently, I assumed self-injury or self-cutting was a female response to pain. Increasingly, however, I hear stories of young men who are cutters.
I've never been a cutter, but I've seen the results of several who are. Some cut their wrists or arms, but I hear more of it occurs on the legs so it's not readily seen. My understanding as a non-therapist, is that it's a form of self-medication—a way to control the pain. Using a knife or a razor blade, cutters hurt and they use self-injury as a temporary fix for their extreme pain or depression.
From what I've read, most self-harm or self-mutilation hits between the ages of 15 and 35. They're not suicidal and they know it's not a solution, but it is a form of self-medication.
"I wanted to stop," a teen-aged boy said, "but it was the only thing I could do to keep from giving up on life."
He has gone into a year-long residency at Teen Challenge. "I can't help myself, but God can help me through the people there."
My husband did that once. It shocked me since he was already an adult, I kinda freaked out. He didn't do it again that I know of, but I wouldn't always know I'm sure. He was quite upset that I recognized it and never changed his story that it was scratches from his work. It wasn't, though.
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