Cutting / Self Mutilation

DISCLAIMER: Dawson McAllister Live does not engage in professional counseling of any sort. The resources that you are about to view are for support and guidance only. They are not intended to give authoritative advice, nor should they be seen as a replacement for professional counseling. These resources are best seen as a beginning point for those who are interested in getting help.

WARNING: The audio clips and stories contained in these resources may cause emotional pain to those who are struggling with the issues discussed.

Welcome to The HopeLine Virtual Coach for the issue of Cutting / Self Mutilation. Below you will find stories, information, and resources dealing with the issue. Before you get started with the Virtual Coach, please listen to a DMLive caller talk to Dawson about their struggle with Cutting / Self Mutilation. To hear the call, please click here.


Jake's Story

This is Jake’s big secret. When he can no longer cope with life, when the stress of school and his on-again/off-again girlfriend are too much to handle, Jake always ends up in his room. The door closed, the music loud, and Jake’s hand slips under his mattress to retrieve his “pain reliever”. A brown envelope emerges; the contents emptied onto the floor. Jake reaches out with his hand and gently picks up the razorblade. He looks it over briefly, knowing that in a few short moments the pain will subside and he will feel alive again. Jake also knows that shortly after he will likely feel down again, regretting his actions, but the stress is too much and he has to get relief. Jake has tried before to resist the urges, but they only get stronger and stronger, taking hold of his every thought and taunting him in a way that only an addiction can. The scars on Jake’s body reveal the battles that he has fought, and lost. Jake has hidden his scars from everyone, but the number of scars is growing and so is the difficulty in keeping the secret.

What is self-injury?

Self-injury is the deliberate physical injury to one’s own body without the intent to commit suicide. This injury may be for the purpose of relieving otherwise unbearable emotions, sensations of unreality and numbness, or for other reasons.

There are many types of self-injury, including cutting, scratching, bruising, burning, picking, hair pulling, bone breaking, and excessive piercing.

In the United States, two to three million people engage in some sort of self-injury. The majority of these are between the ages of thirteen and thirty.

Your Story

Have you been holding onto a secret like Jake? Are you tired of living with the shame of self-injury, like the young lady who spoke with Dawson on DM Live? Are you ready to get help? Because self-injury can quickly develop addictive qualities, it is often very difficult to overcome. Even after sincere attempts to stop, some people struggle to let go of the short term gains that they experience with self-injury. One of the problems with self-injury is that it is not just skin-deep. As you heard Dawson say to the caller, “for every scar on your body you have a scar on your heart”. The causes of self-injury are typically deep-rooted and the behavior flows from a serious emotional need and the inability to otherwise cope with the need. Whether you self-injure because you are attempting to control or manage pain, because it provides some relief from intense emotions or anxiety, because you desire the attention of others, or because the experience provides you with a sense of being real or alive, there is likely a deep emotional pain associated with the behavior. Like other addictive behaviors, the self-injury may best be seen as a symptom, not as the root problem. The good news is that people are able to overcome addictions. It won’t necessarily be easy, but hope exists, and help is available!

If you’re thinking about suicide or know someone who is, please read the options below and click any as they relate to you: Return to the Virtual Coach Menu.