Cutting Disorder In Teenage Girls

What is Cutting? How can my daughter be helped?

Cutting is a form of self-harm in which a girl will use sharp objects (such as knives or razors) to create superficial cuts over her own body. While not suicidal, your daughter is indeed intentionally injuring herself, possibly seeking attention, or using cutting (or Self-Mutilation) as a coping mechanism. Your daughter will likely be careful to make sure that her wounds are not seen. We at Wings of Faith are here to help her with her problem.

Cutting may be considered its own mental illness, but is certainly a symptom of other problems, such as Behavior Personality Disorder, depression, Anxiety Disorder. If you are seeing unexplained wounds or scars (sometimes explained as, “I was just being clumsy.”), blood stains on clothing or towels, sharp objects (even glass shards or bottle caps) in her possessions, inappropriately long-sleeved shirts or long pants (even in warm weather), and prolonged isolation and irritability, your daughter may be suffering from this disorder.

Cutting typically begins in middle to late adolescence, and might be triggered by factors such as low self-esteem, isolation from friends, even a feeling of lack of acceptance within her family. Long-term therapy can be quite effective but first, your daughter must understand her need for help and desire to make a change.

You may have been quite shocked to discover your daughter having this problem, since many most often relate it to a darker, “underworld” element rather than a “normal” middle-class family setting.

Treatments can vary depending on the identified cause for the behavior, but cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy (which would teach her about her individual triggers and assess which coping skills might work best) are most often used. In addition, alternative outlets for expression can be quite useful, with techniques such as journaling, walking, sports or physical activity, spending time with friends. Certainly, removing any kind of sharp objects can help her resist immediate urges for self-harm.

Where does Wings of Faith fit in?

We at Wings of Faith are here to encourage and nurture respect, self-discipline, leadership and creativity, working with your daughter to find the right answers to her problems, finally allowing her to become an honest, hard working asset to the community in which she will live.

We are a Christian boarding school that provides behavioral correction with an emphasis on Christian values. While many boarding schools tend to expel misbehaving girls, we will welcome her and work to change her behaviors. Whether rebellious, depressed or struggling with authority, our structured environment and compassionate professional staff are uniquely equipped to help your daughter in her struggle with Cutting Disorder.

We focus on educational excellence, spiritual growth, and a healthy lifestyle with lots of outdoor recreation, providing for a well-balanced program that will allow your daughter to make positive changes in her life. Wings of Faith Academy is a member of the Missouri Association of Christina Child Care Agencies (MACCCA) and our methods have been turning teen girls around for over 20 year.

If you’re seeking a solution to your daughter’s life-disrupting condition, please call (417) 276-8761 and speak to us at Wings of Faith. Let us show you how we can help your teen overcome her Cutting Disorder, and start transforming her life to a joyful and productive one.