Cutting/Self Injury

The Issue:

Self Injury (SI) or Self Harm happens in many ways. It could be hitting oneself, breaking bones, picking scabs, biting or burning. Cutting is the most common. SI is a coping mechanism like drinking, pornography, or being busy. Cutting can be a medicine to numb out stress and pressure. Many students don’t have the skills to handle the fears, anxiety, and confusion of being a teenager. They look for an external release to the inward conflict they face. Seeking relief in this way can lead to cutting or self injury as a habit. There may be some connection between suicide and SI. Most teens who self injure have no intention to commit suicide, they are trying to cope with the life they are living.

The Concern:

Self injury is not limited to the stereotype of troubled teen girls. Many “normal” and “well adjusted” guys and girls self injure. Teens who self injure are looking for answers and hope in a very dangerous way. While suicide or serious harm are not the goal of self injury, it is possible for things to get out of hand and serious damage to occur. When students self injure there are other serious issues going on that need to be addressed.

The Bible:

God created man in his image (Gen. 1:27). There is tremendous value in this. Each of our students were uniquely created for a purpose. Self injury comes out of a false understanding of the student’s value before God who gave his son to die for them. 

In the Old Testament, God made a law prohibiting self mutilation (Lev. 19:28) to distinguish his people from the pagans around them who would cut or mutilate themselves in worship to false gods. While this law is not required of believers the same way today, it demonstrates God’s value of the person and the body and behaving differently than the culture nearby.

Paul in the New Testament talks about the true owner of the body of the believer. In talking about sexual issues in 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Paul says that the body is where the Holy Spirit lives. It is a sacred gift from God that he paid a high price for. The truth of this passage applies to self injury and defiling the temple of the Holy Spirit that is God’s no longer ours as believers.

Places to start:

What you say won't be nearly as important as how you say it. To open the conversation, you might simply say that you know about the cutting, and then convey your concern, love, and your willingness to help.

• Let them know you are there to talk when their feelings get to be too much
• Help them come up with things to do instead of cutting or self-injury
• Pray, listen to worship music, journal, talk to you or a friend, take a nap, exercise, etc.
• Talk about feelings, success, and disappointment in everyday life so they don’t pile up
• Address the trouble they are dealing with, but also help them see the good things in their life.

Places to stay away:

Teens who cut or self-injure have very serious problems that are coming up in unhealthy ways.

• Don’t threaten them or devalue them, instead offer comfort.
• Focusing too much on the cutting (unless there are health issues) while neglecting the deeper issues going on.

Where to learn more:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/help_cutting.html#

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html#

http://www.parenting.org/article/understanding-teen-cutting-and-self-injury

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/cutting-self-harm-signs-treatment

http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-self-mutilation.html

http://christianstudentsmentalhealth.webs.com/selfharm.htm

Dr. Drew is a popular doctor that students probably know about and may trust for advice. In this case we trust him too. Here is what he says about cutting. http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Teens-and-Cutting-Q-and-A-with-Dr-Drew-Pinsky