The seeming trend of the “emo” or “emotional” student is an emerging stereotype in the high school environment. The image includes habitual crying, drug use, and the cutting of oneself.

The casual exposure to the habit of cutting has prevented popular culture from realizing its horrible emotional impact. Most therapists and counselors refer to the victims of this disorder as “cutters”, while youth refer to people who cut themselves as “emos”.

A traumatic event in a person’s life sometimes spurs cutting as a coping mechanism. A cutter might cut themselves with sharp objects such as razors, knives, or scissors. These self-inflicted injuries are generally in areas easily covered by clothing to prevent outsiders from noticing scars, like the legs, arms, and stomach. It’s this secretive behavior that eventually builds into a life style.

“The problem... well it started when I lost someone close to me.” said a girl at Venice High School. “Yea, it hit me hard. The pain made it easy in a way. I couldn’t talk about what I was feeling, however it felt like an escape- really feeling it and seeing it when I cut.”

Experts on the S.A.F.E. Alternatives website states that this is a classic take-off into the addiction of cutting, or self-mutilation. Often the person thinks that through a self-inflicted injury they can see and feel everything they are incapable of articulating to others. Progressively, they lose the ability to rid themselves of their confusion, anger, and frustration without again returning to self-inflicted pain. It’s a vicious cycle. The cutter thinks that by cutting all of their problems disappear, however it’s quite the opposite. Cutting is like a band-aid. You might not see the the injury- but it’s still there.

The disorder of self mutilation is not only a hard practice to shake off, but most people are afraid to admit they do it, according to Wendy Lader, PhD. Lader is a cofounder and clinical director of the S.A.F.E. Alternatives Program, a national treatment and education center for self injury.

Dr. Lader has found that society sometimes looks down upon someone with this problem, so asking for help isn’t the first thing a cutter might want to do. Most people are unable to understand why someone would want to hurt themselves, and even more confusing is the question of how to help them.

“It wasn’t just that I was embarrassed, but I was afraid.” said a second anonymous student who has recently received help and relief from self-mutilation through private therapy. “How was I supposed to go on without it? Cutting, it had become a part of me.”

Studies carried out by Cornell University have shown that cutting actually triggers natural endorphins in the human body while a person is hurting themselves. Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in vertebrates, usually from strenuous exercise. The release of endorphins in the body provides a feeling of well being or analgesia (effect received from pain killers).

Cutting becomes not only an addiction in its sense of relief but the cutter can become addiction to the endorphins a person experiences while cutting. Similar to the rush some people get after getting a tattoo or piercing, cutting gives the same feeling of adrenaline which is what most people become hooked on, stated Doctors Grossman and Siever from the Imperial London College who developed the hypothesis on the addiction to self injurious behavior in 2005.

All mental disorders and addictions are hard to deal with and help someone through. This doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. Admitting to the habit is the first step to wellness. As with any problem, ending denial lifts a weight of guilt off the person.

There are many facilities to treat anorexia, bulimia, drug addiction, and alcohol addictions. What some people do not know is that cutting is very common among these substance abusers, and is often treated at the same rehab centers.

An L.A.-based treatment center, Vista Del Mar was created for the sole purpose of assisting teens who struggle with self injury. Through therapeutic relationships and the introduction of creative, outlets teens are introduced to new techniques of dealing with stress, frustration, and emotional pain. Outlets such as creative writing, drawing, exercise, and speaking to professionals are possible for all teens. The professionals help cutters find and use outlets for relief in a positive manner at Vista Del Mar rehabilitation center.

Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services

3200 Motor Ave., (310) 836-1223.

Email geninfo@vistadelmar.org.

(800)-DON’T-CUT / -366-8288