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Cutting or Self Harm

Has your teenager experimented with cutting or self harm? Consider the following:

  • Entreat your child to promise to tell you when he feels like he wants to hurt himself.
  • Tell her that she is not the only one who feels this way and share (as is appropriate) about times when you’ve struggled with depression, feeling sad, angry, alone or numb.
  • Help your child identify other ways he can cope with the feelings driving him to cut himself. These might include listening to music, journaling feelings, exercising or engaging in other types of activities.
  • If your child won’t talk to you about what’s going on inside him, he might open up to a therapist. Get a professional involved.
  • Call the Boys Town National Hotline any time, day or night, at 1-800-448-3000 for advice and strategies from a trained, professional counselor.