The Cutter

Warm

teardrops

trickle down

her hollow cheeks.

Past memories flash

back all the hurt and pain.

Slowly she holds the sharp blade

against the scarred and hidden flesh.

With one quick cut, the warm release pours

bright red across her breast, and now she smiles.

Cutting is not something one advertises, and when someone does cut they are generally ashamed and hide it as best they can. It can be done with any sharp object, such as, but not limited to, knives, razors, broken glass, scissors, or safety pins. Self-injury is the individual’s way to cope with or relieve painful or hard-to-express feelings and is generally not a suicide attempt. But the relief is temporary, and a self-destructive cycle often develops without proper treatment. Current research places the number of self-injurers at about 4 percent of the general population, and as many as 10 percent of American teenage girls. If someone displays the signs and symptoms of self-injury, a mental health professional with self-injury expertise should be consulted. An evaluation or assessment is the first step, followed by a recommended course of treatment to prevent the self-destructive cycle from continuing.