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Cutting & Depression

Cutting or injuring yourself intentionally is called self-injury or SI. This form of self-mutilation can involve cutting yourself with sharp objects or scratching yourself purposely. Most cutters are teenage girls, but boys self-injure as well, according to KidsHealth.org.

  1. Mental Health

    • Most self cutters have mental health issues, including depression. Cutters often have poor problem-solving abilities and impulse-control issues. Cutting is a temporary way to deal with pain or emotional issues that are too overwhelming.

    Release

    • Cutting is, for some, a way of releasing built-up tension. If a person is consumed by sorrow, rage, rejection, emptiness, desperation and longing, and hasn't learned to cope with these feelings, she may resort to cutting herself..

    OCD

    • Those with OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, sometimes cut because it makes them feel as though they have some control over their lives. Cutting can become an obsession or ritual a person resorts to when she can't cope.

    Vicious Cycle

    • Once an individual cuts herself, she may experience even worse depression, guilt, shame and a feeling of low self-esteem, according to the Mayo Clinic. Furthermore, the cuts can result in infection and can even be life-threatening if they are too deep and result in substantial blood loss. This can happen if someone inadvertently cuts an artery or major blood vessel. And, of course, cutting results in scars, many of which are permanent and disfiguring.

    Most Aren't Suicidal

    • Most cutters aren't attempting suicide. The cutter wants to feel better, not end her life. Cutting can be addictive and compulsive. The more the individual cuts, the more she needs to cut, according to KidsHealth.org. The brain begins craving the relief that is associated with cutting, although it is a false sense of relief.

    Get Help

    • If you are battling depression or any other mental health disorder that may lead you down the path to cutting, talk to someone. Tell someone that you are thinking about cutting, or that you are already engaging in this act. Talking with someone may help you identify what it is that is triggering your feelings of depression and anxiety.

    Provide Information

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, a doctor will want to know what thoughts and feelings you have before, during and after self-injury. Also, he will want to know when you began hurting yourself and how often you do it. He will want to know what methods you use, and what it is that triggers you to self-injure. In addition, your doctor will ask what makes you feel better or worse.

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