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7 Signs Your Teen Could be Cutting

I know what I want. I want someone to understand.
by Mai (a teenage cutter)

Want to see every hand go up in a classroom of teenagers? Ask them if they know someone who cuts. According to Discovery Health, cutting has reached almost epidemic proportions and some studies suggest 2 to 3 million Americans are self-injurers.

Research shows cutters feel like no one understands them and they have no other way to release their strong emotions. Cutting is a way of letting out the emotions and can quickly become addictive for a disturbed teen. What teens are most at risk? Kirsten Steadman, author of the new memoir Snowflake Obsidian: Memoir of a Cutter by the Hippie With Anger Issues (her pen name), says there are 7 signs to look for if you think your teen might be cutting:

1. Frequent mood swings and signs of depression
2. Wears long sleeves or tries to cover up regardless of the weather
3. Had a recent life transition including moving, divorce, loss of a relationship or the death of a family member or friend
4. Has become hyper-religious
5. Complains of feeling out of control
6. Has been mentally, verbally, sexually or emotionally abused
7. Feels unloved or not good enough

Steadman is a recovered cutter who has worked with teens struggling with addiction and personality disorders as a professional mental health therapist and warns parents that not all teens who have these signs will cut, but most teens who do cut will exhibit 5 or 6 of these traits. Creating an open and honest dialogue with your child is essential.

To learn more about the life of a cutter, please contact me to arrange an interview with Steadman or to request a review copy of Snowflake Obsidian. For more information please visit her website: www.SnowflakeObsidianBook.com or read more about Steadman on ABC News.com: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/memoir-cutter-mormon-utah-relieved-emotions-pain-injury/story?id=14030340.

Kirsten Steadman has a Master's in Social Work from the University of Utah. She became licensed as a Professional Mental Health therapist and specialized in addition and personality disorders. Today she is following her passion as an author and is working on her next book. She lives in Salt Lake City, UT.

Snowflake Obsidian is available through www.amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, indiebound.org, and iUniverse.