We discussed last time about the nature of hurting students. Today we are going to visit the topic of CUTTING. Cutting is defined as an act of attempting to alter mood state by inflicting physical harm serious enough to cause tissue damage. This could include many things but as the reader I hope you get the idea. Many times cutting is confused as being a half hearted attempt at suicide, or an immature attempt at getting attention. When in reality it is a coping mechanism to deal with the hurt that is felt inside. When a person feels like they cannot control the emotional hurt they have inside some see cutting as a viable option because it is in their control and it doesn’t affect anyone else but them. Cutting is an effort to apply therapy to emotional hurt and is an effort to stay away from suicide or more drastic measures. Just for clarification – as mentioned that it is therapeutic does not mean this is a healthy option for therapy and should not be considered a good thing in any way. However now you see the cycle and one can see how this is an attempt at coping with the underlying theme of low self-esteem. This is where one can also see its addictive nature. The first time a student cuts he/she is relieved and the next time they cut they are relieved but not like they were the first time so they are quicker to return to their low self-esteem and emotional hurt and most often fall deeper into a downward spiral. So what do we do for a cutter? Get them some professional help. Cutting is something not to be taken lightly and it is no job for a lay man. There are many good Christian counselors out there and if you know someone who is cutting or you yourself are struggling with it contact me via this website and I can help. Until next week

Your zinc riced,

ike