Cutting Disorder is a form of self-harm in which a girl will use sharp objects (such as knives or blades) to create surface cuts over her own body. While not suicidal, your daughter is indeed intentionally injuring herself, possibly using cutting (or Self-Mutilation) as a way to cope. Your daughter will likely be careful to make sure that her wounds are not seen.
Cutting may be considered its own mental illness, but is certainly a symptom of others, such as Behavior Personality Disorder, Depression, Anxiety Disorder. If you are noticing inexplicable wounds or scars (sometimes explained as, “I was just being clumsy”), bloodstained clothing, sharp objects (or shattered glass) in her possessions, incongruously long-sleeved shirts or long pants (in warm weather), and extended isolation and irritability, your daughter may be suffering from this disorder.
You may be shocked to discover your daughter having this problem, since we most often relate it to a darker, “underworld” element rather than a “normal” middle-class family setting.
Where Cutting Begins
Cutting typically begins in middle to late adolescence and might be triggered by factors such as low self-worth, isolation from friends, even a feeling of lack of acceptance within her family. Long-term therapy can be valuable but your daughter must first understand her need for help and want to make a change.
Treatments can vary depending on the professionally identified cause for the behavior, but cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy (which could coach her about her personal triggers and establish the coping skills that might work best) are most often used. Alternative outlets for expression can also be useful, with techniques such as journaling, sports or physical activity. Without a doubt, removing any kind of sharp objects can help her resist immediate urges for self-harm.
Columbus Girls Academy is Designed for Troubled Girls
CGA is a Christian boarding school for teenage girls struggling with life-controlling problems. We present a disciplined environment that highlights whole person character development with spiritual growth and balances discipline along with personal responsibility in a positive peer culture.
For parents who’ve tried every option (counseling, medications, mental health, social services, even school changes), we offer an alternative program to help your daughter before she becomes ensnared in a dysfunctional adult lifestyle.
In the peaceful tranquility of our 200-acre campus, we offer both individual and regular group mentoring. Our program is accredited by organizations that support the quality educational standards demanded by institutions of higher learning and, customized for each individual student, offer a chance for your daughter to heal and refocus her life and compulsions.
