This is a very controversial topic for me to write about. I have my own reasons for writing about it tonight. There are many different reasons that I know people will cut themselves over. Whether or not you view this as right or wrong please just listen to the reason.
1.) To feel anything normally coming from depression or loneliness
2.) Stress reliever
3.) Attention
4.) Stupidity the people who do it because everyone else is doing it or they are trying to appear as a stereotype would have them appear
5.) Self punishment
6.) Sometimes people can also be turned on by the pain or just like pain in general
I will not try to justify cutting to you. I am assuming that by cutting people understand that it is a form of self mutilation cutting oneself for whatever reason and no surprising most people do not cut themselves on their wrist.
However, here is my argument for cutting if suicide is illegal why is not more action being taken against cutters. Once caught a cutter should be sent to a place where they can receive help and/or fined or jailed whatever they do with people who attempt suicide I believe the first solution is better.
I say this not because I know it does not happen just because it is not enforced very strongly. I personally know plenty of “cutters” that have been caught a multitude of times with no consequence or little action taken.
I also that believe that before a cutter is let out into the world if ever that they should go through a mandatory psych evaluation and come back for follow ups twice a month at the very least.
I also believe that classes or sessions with the counselor in school should be mandatory on the subject. That way, students can be familiar with their counselor as so few students seem to be and kids can learn about cutting and its effects just like they would alcohol, drugs, smoking etc. I say this because the biggest group of people I see cutting are teenagers generally of high school age because scientific research has shown that the brain develops fully at age 21 but until that point the concept of suicide does not compute in a younger persons mind. The whole finality of death and suicide does not sink in that once it is over it is over that there is no second chances. That is why the majority of suicides occur in younger people.
Do you agree with my solutions? Do you have any of your own? Is there any comments that you feel necessary to make on the subject?
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My sister used to cut. She had cut on and off for about a year. It had always been depicted to me that there is not always a clear link between cutting and suicide. I understand that some cutting is indicative of depression, but that it is not correct for one to assume that all cutting on the wrist or on the ankles means that someone is suicidal. My basic point is that it can be, but not always is. Nevertheless, I think measures should be taken no matter the level of cutting and intent, but I just wanted to clarify.
Here is just an excerpt from an article that I just pulled offline:
"Is cutting oneself on the wrist, say, a suicide attempt or a way of relieving tension? Of course, it depends on the patient. If someone is cutting herself, this self-mutilation is often serious and scarring, according to psychiatrists, but still is not attempted suicide. Researchers have found that those who cut themselves have no wish to die, no matter how difficult that may be to understand. They find that cutting relieves unbearable anxiety, somehow, or channels anger."
http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/brain/depression/de.about.suicide...
I think a better approach at curbing suicide would be educational programs about depression. I understand that people who cut may also need help, and that measures should be taken to help them as well. I know that at my high school, when my sister was caught with scars on her wrists from cutting, she had to see a counselor until she had written permission from a doctor that she could return to school and was not a threat to herself. However, from my experience with crisis in my school, I felt that measures in such situations were taken not for the sake of the student, but for shifting the responsibility away from the school in case something God forbid did happen.
I agree that cutters come in many different forms. Hey I know for a fact that some people cut themselves because of depression, suicidal thoughts, and being bord. Cutting yourself can lead to suicide either accidental or intentionally; therefore there should be a law about cutting yourself (just like you said). You mostly hear of people cutting themselves if they are an emo or an outcast in high schools. Sometimes I believe that cliques are to blame for cutting, but in most cases cliques are just for common interests involved with socializing.
I agree also that there are a lot of reasons for cutting. I know someone who has cut before, and i once even wanted to know what it would be like. I've heard somewhere that one of the reasons to cut are to know the pain is there, that life is still there. It's like in movies where people think they're dreaming so they pinch themselves to see if they are actually awake or not. Isn't this the same thing? If they just cut, it would bring reality back, that they are still alive, that there is worse pain out there then they feel they are actually going through.
I think it could also be a way to let you know that you are in charge of the pain you go through, not the rest of the world.
There are absolutely many reasons.
~we're the new face of failure~
RIP STEPH
Yeah, I had someone tell me the same thing also, but they wanted to get rid of the pain they felt. I even had someone stapling their arm just for "fun." It's difficult getting people to stop though, but it is possible.
Today was the first time since September that I wore short sleeves in class. People asked. I actually just got back from that class - interesting that you wrote about it just now. My class is a writing class and self-injury will be one of the subjects I'm writing about, and hopefully getting significant academic credit for (as the class is a prerequisite to a program in which I can get academic credit for "prior learning" - up to 29 additional credits. So I have "prior learning" about self-injury from experience, heh).