Portsmouth Parents Hear About the Dangers of 'Cutting'

Local psychotherapist Peter Letendre visited the to discuss the issue of teen cutting Tuesday night at the library.

Five parents attended the presentation to discuss such issues as causes, treatments, and trends with Letendre. Most of the parents in attendance had direct experience with teenage cutters.

Letendre offered suggestions for the parents, as well as general information about what he called a "misunderstood" condition.

“A lot of times it’s depression-related,” said Letendre, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC), on the topic of self-injury.

Though Letendre says that cutting is “the most common self-injury” he sees, the act can manifest itself through other methods, such as burning or hair pulling. And while adolescents comprise the majority of cutters, Letendre says that self-injurious behaviour is hardly equal between the sexes.  

“I see mostly females,” says Letendre, noting that most of the male cutters he’s counseled have also had gender-identity issues.

One anonymous parent offered one possible reason for the gender gap. “I think it’s harder for girls in our society to feel good about themselves,” she said.

Ray Davis, a certified prevention specialist and host of the Portsmouth Parents Group, noted that self-injury is not confined to any one social class or income level either.

“It happens in all kinds of families,” he said.

The causes of self-injury are various, but most the of the cases Letendre has seen involve depression, an inability to cope with anxiety or “an inability to cope in general,” says Letendre. 

Letendre says that many cutters injure themselves because they experience a sense of numbness. Cutting, Letendre says, is one way in which such depressed adolescents can "feel" something.

“When they cut, they feel something. They feel good, even though [the cutting] feels bad,” says Letendre.

Letendre discussed some of the various ways in which self-injury can be dealt with, such as medication, cognitive behavioral therapy or learning alternative ways of coping. Letendre stressed the confidentiality involved in discussing self-injury with his patients—he’s not legally permitted to tell parents what their children may tell him in therapy—but said that parents can still communicate with their child’s therapist.

“You can call at anytime and express your concerns to the therapist,” said Letendre.

Letendre recommended when to get assistance from a therapist.

If a parent is dissatisfied with their child’s answers to questions about self-injury, Letendre says, “What’s the harm in seeking some professional help?”