The girl who cuts

Location: average highschool
Age: 15-16
Gender: female

Problem: So I was in a class of mine and during the beginning of it where everyone was just talking I happened to look behind me and saw a classmate showing her cut wrist to another girl, telling about it ( it was her left arm with 3-4 neat horizontal cuts). The other girl was freaking out while the cutter goes “It’s no big deal”, with a smile on her face. Now I’ve been told she might possibly be doing it for attention etc. But should I tell someone?

Re: The girl who cuts

Yes! Either way, if she's doing it for attention she'll get attention from the counselors if not then she'll stop.

Re: The girl who cuts

Yes. Report it to a teacher/counselor immediately. Any adult who hears about it has a legal requirement to address the concern. You can probably report it anonymously if you want.

Re: The girl who cuts

***Its whats called parasuicide !
An apparent attempt at suicide, in which the aim is not death.
People who would attempt suicide do not discuss it , or talk about it neither do they give any clue to what they maybe contemplating.

What this girl is doing is looking for attention......3-4 cuts should tell you the story !

She needs counselling but as with most of these people once it gets them the kind of attention they are seeking it becomes a habit of sorts and they use it recurrently.

However it is a major risk factor leading to suicide and therefore you should convey to the concerned school authorities what you know.

There are several treatments like psychosocial counselling and if need be dialectical behavioural therapy can be implemented.


Re: The girl who cuts

If she was sincere she would have done it right. The cut needs to be vertical - that way you can rapidly bleed to death.

Re: The girl who cuts

^ tru dat.

Re: The girl who cuts

looking for attention.

a really depressed individual would do it secretly and would NOT brag about it.

woohalalalallala
Experience?

Re: The girl who cuts

so even if she is seeking attention I oughta cop her out?

Re: The girl who cuts

Whatever her reasons, it is not for you to decide what kind of help she needs. Your job is to report the concern. It's serious.

Re: The girl who cuts

Thats what Goth girls do let her do it she probably goes to the cemetery afterward and writes gloomy poems.

Haven't you heard of "Emos"? That's what they do, they cut themselves. It's part of they their whole "life sucks" getup.

Cutting is actually really popular amongst teenage girls, most of whom have severally low self-esteem. It happens when emotional pain is too much to deal with, so a temporary 'quick fix' is to cut. Physical pain is a lot easier to deal with and used as a distraction. The intention is never to kill yourself. Another name for this is 'self harm'. It can eventually lead to suicide if not dealt with.

Re: The girl who cuts

Whatever the reason, whether it's the image thing associated with "Goths" or "Emos", whether it has to do with other serious issues associated with depression, it doesn't matter. It needs to be reported so that adults and professionals can address the situation. It doesn't help when people simply label it to trivialize the issue. Harming yourself is serious, even if you don't realize it.

Re: The girl who cuts

i had 2 pals who used to do this..........they were obsessed with relations with guys........and all the time they ended up cutting themselves ..........

i didnot tell their parents......which i should have i guess.........

but you either try stop her yourself..........OR report somebody else.........

thats self crucification:P

well i knew someone who did this, and she did it secretly....while others do it for attention, the reason is most probably similar like everyone elses who hides it......depressed, seeking attention because of this or loneliness......but it needs too be reported, as this is some kind of an addiction.....one keeps on cutting it deeper with time....just like weed:D...the amonut of stuff keeps on increasing.........either help her out yrself or report it.

Self injury is often not a type of parasuicidal behavior. It's a coping mechanism. However, if the girl has very superficial wounds and is showing them to other people while smiling, I would consider either embarrassment (per the smile, not the showing), or attention seeking behavior. Likewise, the evidence of only 3-4 cuts suggests that she is new to the practice, and having exposed the superficial injury to a peer in a mixed setting would point to her seeking attention.

Self injury when used a coping mechanism (which is most often the case), is a very complex issue. There are a multitude of reasons why an individual (often women), do so, and while this girl may be the exception, rarely is it done for attention or as a feigned suicide attempt.

I would like to suggest though, that while this may be for attention, her actions reflect that she is disturbed. Anyone who seeks to harm themselves for validation have issues that should be addressed by a qualified therapist.

Either way, this should be reported to the teacher/school counselor. They will address the situation from there.

Self injury is far more "addictive," than weed. Not only does self injury cause a release of endorphins, it induces a state of disassociation and becomes a psychological band-aid for suppressing issues that the individual is unable or unwilling to deal with otherwise.

Girls are more inclined to self injure than males because of socialization. Men are taught it's ok to focus their anger on others (assertive), while women generally internalize their faults and blame themselves (submissive/self sacrificing behavior), this leads to female dominance in self injury. Instead of addressing the issue with the object/person a woman has the issue with, instead (whether it is due to self blaming behavior or not wanting to cause conflict), she punishes herself rather than punishing the other.

Physical pain makes the emotional pain disappear, for a short time. That's why cutters continue to cut. It only lasts so long, and the longer they do it, they more they need to do it, and the deeper they need to cut for the same effect. Generally these are very troubled people.