Mental Health in Teenagers and Why They Cut Themselves
Some teens struggle with their mental health and might engage in cutting. Cutting is a maladaptive coping strategy during moments of stress. It’s rarely comorbid with suicidal ideations. In fact, most teens who self-injure via cutting aren’t suicidal. “Cutting is most common in teens and young adults — especially among teen girls — and often starts around age 12–14,” according to Very Well Mind, “an estimated range of 6.4% to 30.8% of teens admitting to trying to harm themselves.” Teens may cut for a variety of reasons. It could be problems with family members in the home or issues fitting in at school. Regardless of the reason, cutting is a worrying trend that requires early intervention through therapy or even medication.
Mental Health Issues
Mental illness can plague teens. Various illnesses such as depression and anxiety can lead to cutting behaviors. Mental illnesses can have a severe effect on a teen’s ability to navigate daily life. When quality of life is negatively impacted, teens may feel alone in their struggles. Parents can help their teens by regularly listening to their concerns and offering potential solutions.
When it comes to cutting and other self-harm behaviors, there could be external factors such as an abusive home environment or internal factors such as genetics. External factors can be changed but internal factors will usually require intervention. Attentive parents should sit down with their child and let them know that they are seen and heard. Relationship dynamics in the home are the most important factors in managing mental illness. Having a supportive home environment will greatly increase outcomes for troubled teens.
Anxiety and depression are the leading mental health concerns that can contribute to cutting in teens. One of the side effects of depression is that it causes a loss of enjoyment in activities that once brought joy. This contributes to feelings of numbness. Anxiety causes excessive worry which can cause teens to struggle in their daily lives. Bipolar can also create feelings of extreme lows that might cause a teen to cut themselves. Of course, only a doctor can make these diagnoses. When treated early, a teen can go on to live a successful and healthy life.
Why Teens Cut
Teens might cut their arms, legs, or wrists. Cutting can be done with a knife, scissors, razor blades, or other sharp objects. Teens who cut often feel numb to the world and see cutting as a way to feel something, even if it’s painful. Numbness can stem from being emotionally overwhelmed for a long period of time. Without the ability to feel happy or sad naturally, the brain’s chemicals might not be working as they should.
The frequency of self-injury has increased by 120% in the past 20 years. There are a number of theories behind this. One theory is that the advent and proliferation of technological devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers have led to teenagers feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information they process on a daily basis. Another theory is that changes in the family and home structure have contributed to increased anxiety in teens. High expectations from parents could be another factor.
For example, a 15-year-old girl with strict parents who is a stellar student and contributes to several extracurricular activities such as cheerleading and band practice may feel a lot of pressure at school and at home. This could lead her to cut herself to relieve some of the pressure that’s been bottled up. She may also feel shame about her self-harming behaviors and might hide her scars under long-sleeved shirts in order to avoid bringing attention to herself.
Parents have difficulty understanding why teens cut. The truth is, this behavioral pattern is incredibly complex. It could be attention-seeking behavior or a way to manage stress. Unfortunately, the relief that teens feel from cutting is temporary and like any addiction, can worsen over time.
Help is Available
A study by Psychology and Clinical Neurosciences found that “among the late teen students, females are more likely than males to report self-cutting, despite no difference in the prevalence of suicidal ideation.” Girls are also more likely to reach out to support networks such as counselors, teachers, or trusted peers which means that they are more likely to receive the help they need.
Obviously, cutting is dangerous and can lead to scarring on the body which will remain long after teens grow into adults. The best way to deal with it is to get counseling for the teen. A licensed counselor can help families sort through their issues which may have led to cutting in the first place. However, sometimes teens from good households will struggle with cutting as well. In that case, finding the right help is still absolutely necessary.
A girl who struggled with cutting acknowledges her 10-year ordeal. “I sought help and was able to overcome the reasons behind why I cut. I would cut almost daily and up to around 50 cuts at a time,” says Lucy, “It took a lot of hard work, self-acceptance, and eventually self-love to break through the mental barricade, but I got there.”
Not all teens are willing or capable of asking for help. “…for someone who is currently self-harming and not wanting to talk at all, a great tool to have at home is an Acepressure Mat. A mat to lay on that emulates acupuncture allows for blood to rush to your body (from your head) allowing you to calm your mind” says Mental Fitness Facilitator, Matt Caruana.
Conclusion
Mental health problems can cause teens to cut. In a world that presents ever-increasing pressures on teenagers, cutting can be a misguided coping strategy for stress, anxiety, and depression. A sense of being numb can also contribute to the problem because the teens just want to feel something. With the right help and support, teens have a good chance of improving their personal lives and overall mental health.
