to be catholic : thoughts from the heart

Cutting

Hey, everyone. I'm not quite sure how to begin this chapter. But you've already seen the title, so there really is no point in me beating around the bush. What I'm saying here is 100% my opinion and doesn't have to be yours. You can think whatever you want about what I say.

Cutting is something that might stem from depression or anxiety and feelings of low self-esteem or worth. Whatever the reason, you cannot take away the emotional pain in the long run with physical pain. It's impossible.

Please get the help you need and deserve! I cannot stress this enough, friends.

Medically, cutting is dangerous. Why? If you cut a vein, it isn't a big deal. You just bleed. However, arteries are a different story. Arteries take blood away from the heart, while veins take blood to the heart. If you cut an artery, you can and you will bleed to death, whether you think so or not. And yes, there are arteries in your arm.

There are alternatives to cutting. Take a rubber band, put it on your wrist, flick it. I used to do this when I was frustrated with myself. If I were to make a mistake, I would give the rubber band a little flick and I forgot about it. Or, don't do anything to your body at all. Because your body is a gift, it is yours and no one else's. For anyone's words to get to your brain, and then your body, doesn't give yourself justice. You are so much better than them.

Cutting is not funny/quirky.

Have you ever seen a picture for pro-cutting? All you have to do is go on any website and look for it. If you think I'm kidding, I'm far from it. This is a damaging mindset and should not be listened to.

The people who cut for attention must realize that it isn't funny, or cool. In fact, when I see

There is a video on YouTube that teaches how to "cut safely". Guess what? There is a way to cut safely, in fact, there are many. But there isn't a way you can possibly avoid one day cutting your artery. Mistakes happen. And that mistake could kill you or kill your spirit.

One in twelve young people self harm.

"Self-harm (SH) or deliberate self-harm (DSH) includes self-injury (SI) and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology." As said by Wikipedia, but anyone can say anything on there. However, this is true.

"People may cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs, or bellies. Some people self-injure by burning their skin with the end of a cigarette or lighted match.

When cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars or marks. People who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks and sometimes no one else knows."-Kidshealth.org

It is said that people become dependent on it to the point where it becomes "addicting". Personally, I can hardly cut myself by accident and not feel a lot of pain. It really, really hurts.

I should not be saying anything, probably. I never had the urge to cut.

"But people who cut may not have developed ways to cope. Or their coping skills may be overpowered by emotions that are too intense. 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 personal 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 drug 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. Or it may be a way of reliving the pain they went through, expressing anger over it, or trying to get control of it." -kidshealth.org

I'm not going to kiss up to you all and say you're flawless. No one is. But, we're all our own people..educate yourself on the topics such as this, formulate your own opinion. My opinion is not yours.

Please get help, friends. You're wonderful and worth everything!

You deserve better for yourself. God loves you. Love yourself, please. Talk to yourself like you would to a dear friend and things will change.