TeenHealthFX - Answers - Feel Like I am Being Mocked By The Razor

Cutting / Question
Published: March 19, 2008

Dear TeenHealthFX,

i cut my wrists ALOT!! but no matter what i do i just cant stop. i mean it's like i am being mocked by a razor. and the stuff that i deal with at school doesnt help me much either. my mother is a recovring crack addict and my dad died from herowine. i just see no reason to stop. it takes my pain away. anybody have any answers?

Signed: Feel Like I am Being Mocked By The Razor

Dear Feel Like I am Being Mocked By The Razor,

You have had some incredibly hard things to deal with – a significant substance abuse history in your family, the loss of you father, and stresses at school. It is understandable given these extremely difficult situations that you would be experiencing feelings of anger, loss, sadness, and pain. And it sounds like you have learned to cope with these negative feelings by cutting – and the reason that it is so hard to stop and that you feel “mocked” by the razor is that you probably have not ever learned any healthier altervatives to cope with what you are feeling and what you have been experiencing at home and school. At this point, the razor and the cutting may feel like your only option to feel better – but FX wants to stress to you that there are other options here. There are other methods of coping with stressful situations and negative emotions – it is just a matter of learning them and replacing the maladaptive coping mechanism of cutting with something less self-destructive. FX thinks that it is very important for you to seek out the help of a trained mental health professional so that you can get some support and guidance in dealing with these stresses at home and school, and so that you can begin to learn how to use healthier coping mechanisms when you are dealing with any of these negative thoughts or feelings.

If you live in northern New Jersey and need help finding a therapist you can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 973-247-1400. Outside of this area you can log onto the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for referrals in your area. You can also contact your insurance company to get a list of in-network mental health providers.

You can also contact the Self-Injury Hotline (information only, not a crisis line) at 1-800-DON’T-CUT, 1-800-366-8288.

Signed: TeenHealthFX