Ask the Therapist
Depression and Self Injury
Hey I'm an 19yr old female with what people call a bright future a made A's and B's in high school but i have only one problem. Well i have a soft heart for my friends and the other day i saw cut's on my friends arm. It doesn't look accidental at all they appear to be fresh wounds every time i see her. My question is..........
What do you call people who purposely cut themselves and what is it that i can do to help?
Oddly, they are called 'cutters'. Cutting is a manifestation of depression, sometimes Borderline Personality Disorder, sometimes the de-personalization or de-realization associated with some forms of schizophrenia. It is a symptom of a larger problem and generally effects women. A good reference is a book called
A Bright Red Scream : Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain by Marilee Strong.
What you can do is talk to your friend and ask her if she needs help. That's all any of us can ever do.
