By Nia Nothing can beat the pain I felt today. Never thought so much hurt would come my way. I tried to brush it off like there was nothing there. As I try to fight the pain it gives me a hard stare. It says, Why do you brush me off and push me out of the way? You know exactly why I'm here and that I'm here to stay. That's right?just pick up that blade and cut yourself real quick. Nobody will ever know if you do it real slick. Make sure there's no stain on your shirt and all. If anyone asks, tell them you had a hard fall. Oh, and by the way, I have rules for you. I wrote them in your mind for you to look through. No short sleeves, no doctors, and take your blades everywhere. If someone notices the cuts, make sure they don't stare. There will be no bathing suits or skin showing of any kind, And no boys touching you, so keep that in mind. Make sure you never stop cutting because I like that the best. Oh, yeah, there's one more rule?no more happiness.

Cutting is what experts call an unhealthy coping mechanism. This means that people who do it haven't developed healthy ways of dealing with strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems.

If there's been a major change in your life, such as divorce or death, you can feel tremendous emotions and not know how to cope. A family history of violence, abuse, or sexual abuse can also cause intense feelings of fear, hurt, anger, rejection, or abandonment, resulting in a tremendous need to get "control" of your life.

Being rejected by someone important to you
Being blamed for something you had no control over
Feeling inadequate and outcast

People who cut for these reasons find a temporary relief from their problems as the cutting makes them feel their pain on the outside instead of the inside.

Unfortunately, younger teens and preteens are also starting to cut as a "fad." They feel that cutting can make them seem daring, grown up, or popular. Cutting is NOT the new cool.

DOES CUTTING REALLY HELP?

NO - because it only brings temporary relief, and it can never solve the underlying problems.

AND - it can cause many other new problems:

Cuts can become infected.
The scars can become permanent
Misjudging how deep you cut can result in dangerous blood loss
Cutting can become an addictive/compulsive behavior
It can leave you even more depressed