Have cutters always been with us? Or have they just decided to come out of the closet?

Question

Mental illness is obviously nothing new, but is cutting yourself something new? I had never heard of this until a few years ago, when I ended up with a co-worker who insisted that his own self-mutilation was a good way to cope with stress.

Answer 1

I remember back in high school (early 90s)a group of kids used to 'carve' their boyfriends/girlfriends name into their arms or legs. Creepy huh? Although really is it that different to a tattoo? Hmm.. thats debatable.
Not sure if this is the same as what we call cutting today though, which is more of a private stress release thing.
I think we are hearing more about it as depression becomes less and less taboo, and these things are 'coming out of the closet' - so to speak.
Prior to the 80s and 90s to say you had depression was a MAJOR thing, and you were probally just told to snap out of it. Cutting was probally happening then but totally frowned upon, and not discussed.
I believe as depression is seen more and more as the illness it is, more and more 'symptoms' and 'issues' regarding it - like cutting - will emerge.
Better off out in the open.

Answer 2

No, they have been around for quite awhile. I graduated high school in 2001 and I had a friend in high school who did it all the time throughout high school. She had huge bloody gashes and small slices all up and down her arms. I thought it was weird. I knew that she was depressed and didn't intend to kill herself though...just for some odd reason...enjoyed cutting herself. She was finally reported to a guidance counselor for doing it and got into trouble for it. She used to show her cuts to me as a sort of pride thing...like "hey look how deep this one is"....scary stuff. Looking back, I probably should have reported her...but I figured it was a way for her to get attention and nothing more. Afterall, she is still alive and well and never cut deep enough to cause serious injury.
There are also those that do it because it turns them on sexually =) yikes...

Answer 3

Of all things in heaven and earth, none is new.
Society makes it more legal to cut ourselves than to throttle the jerks who set us off. Thus it is said;

aimless as a dove lost at sea in search of land
grieving in that final breath for the joy to exist!
for this dream became but a nightmare of despair
its reality is to struggle free and fail

I’ve been here once in a dream
twas not far enough away to heal all hurts
despised by the fruits of love like sweet honey comb
near a murderous wild gorge signed, “beauty falls to its death”

no hate can bend love’s fortuitous bow
no madness grants the amazing strength to prepare for flight
sadness of the heart must be carried by an arrow that’s true
and by itself can’t launch over death’s miserable gorge without love

those foolish greedy hands have dimmned my light
have quenched the flame of hope with cruel despair
No one will know I have existed
for none, even I, will ever rejoice in the day of my flight

the page that was to mark great history
remains but a chasm to the arrow
how I would cry to be launched, if only into that gorge!
but even death refuses to accept my rage or to verb my sorrow

Answer 4

i am a 'cutter' and i know my mother was a cutter and so was my best friends mum, so as far as im concerned it has been going on for a while.
as correctly stated already, it has more recently come out of the closet with the whole "emo" fad. i hate it! people label me emo just because im a self harmer... if you havnt lived my life, you cannot judge me, the scars on the outside are nothing compared to those on the inside.

Answer 5

Are you kidding me? Haven't you heard of Vincent van Gogh?! He suffered from mental illness and cut off part of his ear for crying out loud.

In fact, there really are very few actions, thoughts and behaviors that are new. Everything is just recycled from previous generations. Current generations think it's new and special because it's new to them.

Answer 6

cutting has been around for along time. generally women and female teenagers do this to relieve stress and to feel that they have control over something. its not as damaging to the brain as drugs but it is just as addictive. and its not really a good way to manage stress, just like all other drugs because you become dependant.

Answer 7

Self injuring behavior is nothing new.

This is a free hotline number with counselors who can help:

1-800-DON'T-CUT

Answer 8

It's been around forever, but I think it started really showing up when the whole "emo culture" started. Now all cutters are lovingly labelled as "emo".

Answer 9

I knew a girl who was doing that back in the early 90s.
I didnt understand it then and still dont.

Answer 10

i think that they have all ways been around,i have seen on TV about certain kinds of tribes where they would beat them selves across their backs until they were cut pretty bad would that be a form of cutting.