Teen Diary: Story of a Cutter

Tanya Ott | August 15, 2005

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2005/08/teenager.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:423;s:4:"file";s:20:"2005/08/teenager.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-336x222.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:222;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"teenager-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-600x423.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:423;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-471x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:471;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-401x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:401;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-600x423.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:423;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"teenager-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

)
1662795974 
1124064000

Some two million Americans intentionally injure themselves to cope with emotionally overwhelming feelings or situations. It’s often called self-injury, or self-mutilation, or just “cutting.” The Crisis Center in Birmingham says it’s seen an increase in the number of middle-school-aged kids calling the crisis hotline to talk about cutting. Hotline volunteer Andrea Nelson says some of them are learning about it on a how-to-cut website.

Andrea Nelson is a volunteer on the kids help line at the Crisis Center in Birmingham. It may be hard to understand just what would drive a young person to cut themselves. 15-year-old Krista started cutting several years ago. Twice she was hospitalized in a psychiatric center. Krista now lives in a foster home and has stopped cutting. But like many people with an addiction, recovery is a constant struggle. For the final episode of our series Raise Your Voice, Krista prepared this audio diary.

Editor’s note: This is our latest piece in a year-long commitment to covering mental health issues in Alabama. You can learn more about our “Making Sense of Mental Health” project and find local mental health resources — as our commitment continues throughout the year — inside this website.