The T-MALE
CUTTING & SELF MUTILATION
The Importance of Addressing the Issue
"It's a problem rarely discussed even though millions struggle with it
and because
no one talks about it, many believe they are suffering alone." - MSNBC.com
The numbers are rising ...
Cutting habits or self-mutilation is not a 'talked about' subject
but many transsexuals cut themselves out of habit, despair, depression, or
feeling that they have no control in life, or over events such as puberty.
Cutting is an act done in secret and often friends and family have no idea the
person is hurting themselves. More often than not, the person does not seek
medical attention and will dress their own wounds.
Outsiders may not understand why people do this but often it is the only way a
person can 'feel' or release emotions they find hard to express verbally.
In the cases of Transmen or Transsexuals doing this, it is often done because
they feel alone, unloved, unable to tell the people they love what they really
feel, such as feeling they were born the wrong sex or gender.
I have heard several Transmen talk about cutting themselves and some don't
understand why they do this, not completely.
Self mutilation or cutting habits can be overcome, If you are doing this, there
is help available to you.
"Three million Americans engage in some form of self-injury,"
according to a study funded by the University of Missouri-Columbia.
According to Dr. Armando Favazza, an estimate of the number of sufferers is
"750 per 100,000 Americans, or close to two million."
"An estimated 2 million Americans purposely cut or burn themselves . .
." - Time
"As many as 40% of kids have experimented with self-injury." -
Jennifer Hagman, Medical Director of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital,
Denver
"90% of self-abusers begin cutting as teenagers." - University of
Missouri-Columbia Study
"The average self-injurer starts at age 14 and continues with increasing
severity into his/her late 20's. Their most common professions are teacher,
nurse, and manager." - The New York Times Magazine
The first major public appearance of the disorder was in 1995, when Princess
Diana admitted that she cut herself in an interview with the BBC. (Johnny Depp
and Christina Ricci have also admitted that they suffer from the
disorder.)
"More than half of self-injurers are victims of sexual abuse, and most
report emotionally abusive or neglected childhoods ... contrary to the
stereotype, self-injury is prevalent in all races and economic backgrounds
although most are female, up to 40% of self-injurers are male." - Time
Please, use the contact information on the site index to submit your story or suggestions.
Respectfully, Nick
WEBSITES
Secret shame
http://crystal.palace.net/~llama/selfinjury/
Self-Injury
http://www.selfinjury.com/
HOTLINE
1-800-DONTCUT - SAFE (Self-Abuse Finally Ends) Alternatives Information Line (Receives
700 calls per month.)
BOOKS: Get them at Amazon.com
Bodily Harm: The Breakthrough Healing
Program for Self-Injurers by Dr. Wendy Lader, Ph.D. and Karen Conterio
The Scarred Soul: Understanding & Ending Self-Inflicted Violence by
Tracy Alderman
Skin Game: A Cutter's Memoir by Caroline Kettlewell
A Bright Red Scream
by Marilee Strong, which coins self-injury as "the addiction of the
90's."
Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation by Steven Levenkron
OLDER ARTICLES
"Some Misplaced" - Los Angeles Times Magazine, August 1, 1999
"Hard Questions" - Seventeen, July 1999
"Self-Injury Cases Widespread" - The Denver Post, April 27
"What the Cutters Feel" - Time, November 9, 1998
"An Armful of Agony" - Newsweek, November 9, 1998
"Living on the Edge" - The North Star Online Edition, October
1997
"The Thin Red Line" - The New York Times Magazine, July 27,
1997
(Page design, phrasing, and
commentary only) Most of these myths have no known original author
Copyright © 1999-2004 The Transitional Male
Protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. Section 512 (c)(3.