When emotions don’t get expressed in a healthy
way, tension can build up - sometimes to a point
where it seems almost unbearable
The urge to cut might be
triggered by strong
feelings the person can’t
express - such as anger,
hurt, shame, frustration
or alienation
People who cut sometimes
say they feel they don’t fit
in or that no one
understands them
When emotions don’t get expressed in a healthy way, tension can build up
- sometimes to a point where it seems almost unbearable. Cutting may be
an attempt to relieve that extreme tension. For some, it seems like a way
of feeling in control.
The urge to cut might be triggered by strong feelings the person can’t
express - such as anger, hurt, shame, frustration or alienation. People who
cut sometimes say they feel they don’t fit in or that no one understands
them. A person might cut because of losing someone close or to escape a
sense of emptiness. Cutting might seem like the only way to find relief or
express pe rsonal pain over relationships or rejection.
People who cut or self-injure sometimes have other mental health
problems that contribute to their emotional tension. Cutting is sometimes
(but not always) associated with depression, bipolar disorder, eating
disorders, obsessive thinking or compulsive behaviors. It can also be a
sign of mental health problems that cause people to have trouble
controlling their impulses or to take unnecessary risks. Some people who
cut themselves have problems with drugs or alcohol abuse.
Some people who cut have had a traumatic experience, such as living
through abuse, violence or a disaster. Self-injury may feel like a way of
“waking up” from a sense of numbness after a traumatic experience. It
may be a way of reliving the pain they went through, expressing anger
over it or trying to get control of it.