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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – 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:
Frequent mood swings and signs of depression
Wears long sleeves or tries to cover up regardless of the weather
Had a recent life transition including moving, divorce, loss of a relationship or the death of a family member or friend
Has become hyper-religious
Complains of feeling out of control
Has been mentally, verbally, sexually or emotionally abused
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.
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.
Website: www.SnowflakeObsidianBook.com
Book Trailer: http://www.freado.com/book/9903/Snowflake-Obsidian:-Memoir-of-a-Cutter
Snowflake Obsidian is available through www.amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, indiebound.org, and iUniverse.
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