Soothed By Blood: Shedding Light on Self-Mutilative Cutting

By Twila Pearson

Self-abusive cutting is fast growing to epidemic proportions among today’s youth. Pearson gives understanding and advice that will help those who cut and those who want to help. The pressures burdening our youth through society’s expectations are a contributing factor to the feelings of inadequacy that drive susceptible individuals to self-abusive cutting. Understanding the plight of the cutter is an important step to helping them. Pearson explains the functionality of cutting and gives practical tips on how to help those who have fallen victim to this very addictive behavior.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Twila Pearson
• Release date: Feb 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9780984809950

Twila Pearson

Earned a Ph.D. in 1997 in Counseling Psychology, Has worked in the Mental Health field since 1984. Currently works as an Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber in Psych/Mental Health at her current location since 2002. Married with 1 daughter and 3 grandchildren. Has worked for many years with a teenage population and writes her books from a Christian perspective.

Book preview

Soothed by Blood

Shedding Light on Self-Mutilative Cutting

By

Twila Pearson, PhD

Published by Flying Scroll Publisher, LLC at Smashwords

ISBN: 978-0-9848099-5-0

Copyright 2010 Twila Pearson

Electronic Edition 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this book or cover may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author and publisher.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I want to dedicate this booklet to my long time friend and supporter Terrie Knox. She has been an inspiration to me through her walk with Christ. We have both gone through many trials and tribulations during the years of our friendship, sometime together but more often separately. We have stood by one another and watched as our lives have changed dramatically, but we never let those changes or miles hurt our friendship. Thank you Terrie for always being there for me.

Contents

The Phenomenon of Cutting

Influences to Cutting

Breakdown in Coping

Susceptibility to Cutting

Inability to Cope with Unmet Needs

What Drives Cutting Behavior

Explanations Given for Self-Mutilation

The Addictive Nature of Self-Abuse

Common Traits of Self-Abusers

The Function That Cutting Serves

Identifying Triggers of Cutting

Warning Signs of Cutting

Questions to Assess Cutting Behavior

Tips for Friends and Family

The Prognosis for Cure

Self-abuse or Suicide Attempt

Suspected Suicidality

The Role of Forgiveness

Healed by the Blood of Christ

Alternatives to Avoid Self-harm

Recommended Treatments for Cutting

Insulating From Self-Abuse

Bibliography

The Phenomenon of Cutting

A new phenomenon has been growing in this country among young people. The phenomenon is self-abusive behavior, more specifically cutting oneself. Cutting is actually not new, it dates as far back as early biblical times. Cutting is referred to in the scriptures: Leviticus 21:5, Deuteronomy 14:1, 1 Kings 18:28, Jeremiah 16:6, Jeremiah 47:5 and Mark 5:5.

The scriptures are clear about God’s stand on cutting:

Deuteronomy 14:1-2

"Since you are the people of the Lord your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead.

You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure."

Since the early 1990s the practice of cutting appears to be growing to epidemic proportions among the 14 to 26 year olds. In actuality this phenomenon reaches individuals of all ages and has