Wow..loved the last sentence and I loved the phrase "flirting with death"
This was really good (:
I hope it does tell even one more person how us, the teens that are going through this pain, feel. Great job (:

Posted: Jun 13, 2008

hi! kaori. thanx for inviting me to read it. as a teenager, u can well analyze this problem. here, broken homes and neglect r the prominent reasons for teens to go to extremes.

thought-provoking articles like this r the need of the hour. counselling d be of great help but parents hold the key. whats ur take. ;-)

Posted: Jun 13, 2008

YES I AGREE WITH BUBBLY...PARENTS DO HOLD THE KEY.....
AND THIS THEME IS GREAT....

I FEEL AS IF THIS IS AN OPINION ARTICLE .....

And I hope everyone should come and read and opine on this....

It is so pathetic to see the teenagers losing their 'balance' so quickly....sure there is 'tension', rejection', failure, divorce between parents , neglect.....and HORMONAL changes.....
BUT then there sure is a way out to keep ones' balance and that is to trust GOD ( no particular religion) and GOD whom u love...and trust and then LOVE ONE's OWN SELF......

Life is so beautiful....is it worth sacrificing it for any cause....??

My sister has mutilated her arms some 50 times and so sad....my parents love her so much....each time she does that my MOM cries so much.....
My father is very strict and use harsh words sometimes and so she feels 'neglected' .....and does this.....
Plus she had a terrible time in school....I know we cannot take away her pain...it is 'her' pain and 'she' has to be brave and face it....We would be with her throughout but it is 'she' who has to fight against her own 'tempatation' to hurt herself to get "false sense of relief"....

Like BUBBLY said, Counselling sure helps and FRIENDS helpe tremendously esp if they r friends who love truly and stay back when the rest of the world turns its back.....

Family, friends, Grand parents, Uncles, cousins, Aunties ....anyone with whom we vibe well should be confided with our problems....

And most imp is a teenagers' point of view should never never be scrutinized under ELECTRON microscope....
Today world is more stressful than it used to be 10 years back and so we should not forget what would have we done if placed in their shoes?? It's not easy....

Teenagers today are under more and more pressure and expectations from society....AND SO PLEASE TRY AND UNDERSTAND THEM....THEY NEED LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE AND NOT CRITICISM AND COMPARISON.....EACH ONE IS UNIQUE AND LOVELY.....

BRILLIANT ATTEMPT KAORI.....KEEP IT UP....GOD BLESS YOU TO WRITE MORE ON SUCH THOUGHT STIRRING THEMES.....

Posted: Jun 13, 2008

gretajob. i wish everyone at my school would read this. teenagers are cruel. T_T

Lydia_xxxx

Posted: Jun 14, 2008

Kaori, it is hard enough for teenagers and without good examples to look up to, and unconditional love surrounding thier daily activities, the ego cries out for attention. As human beings we never stop crying out, we only change the ways we do it, until we realise that nothing "out-there" can save us. Only then do we figure out that we have to do it ourself.
There is so much spiritual knowledge out there, hopefully it will become more and more aknowledged.
There is more hope and help out there these days that ever before. Many times it is the thought of 'victim'
that keeps a person committed to harming themselfs, they see thier self as a victim of thier surroundings.
they find no comfort in thier thoughts, although they can change thier thoughts they do not know this. Who has been teaching these chidren do not know this. Many times as soon as a person is ready for help then that is when the help will just "be there" as if out of the blue you know? God Bless you Kaori, and your progress and your concern for the enlightenment on this subject. Teenagers are very important to this world, now and always....much love ~katie

Posted: Jun 14, 2008

Hi, Kaori.
First and foremost, I'm very close to someone who decides to cut himself. It's very devastating. I'd say the majority of the people who hurt themselves this way, have broken up homes or dysfunctional families. But that's not always the case. This addiction knows no bounds; it does not happen in a certain race, religion, or income level. It happens to people who feel they are not being listened to; who are hurting so much inside.
My friend has been cutting himself for many years. He was doing it before we had met. I'm there for him all the time, and he's gotten much better. It's so hard to ask for help. And it's just not pride that stands in the way. It's the opposite of pride; it's feeling guilty, feeling unworthy of other people, and most of all, not knowing how to reach out.

MA

Posted: Jun 14, 2008

DEAR KAORI, THE RESPONSES SO FAR HAVE ALL BEEN HONEST AND FULL OF LOVE....
AND WITH LOTS OF BLESSING FOR YOU TO BRING FORTH THIS TOPIC .....IT IN INDEED SO HEARTFELT , THE WAY U FACED UR OWN TENSIONS....

TEENAGERS SHOULD LOOK UP TO YOU FOR ENCOURAGEMENT AND SOLUTIONS.....U R A PERFECT EXAMPLE BY NOT BEING A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE BUT A 'WINNER'....

GOD BLESS YOU BUDDY

Posted: Jun 14, 2008

Kaori. Self-mutilation is a crying need of the teenagers for help. They crave for attention. And in today's world there are single parent families and broken homes. Whom will they look up to in their time of need. A very thoughtful article. Keep up.

Posted: Jun 15, 2008

There are many, many reasons why teenagers decide to self-mutilate. To say there is "One reason fits all" makes it a box that we all find so convienient yet so ridiculous.

I think it is wise to take each case as it is, what is certain is that there have to be certain serious reasons behind it, and something that can help MANY MANY of those is to have someone they can turn to, someone they fell they can tell anything and everything to without the fear of being rejected or humiliated.

Just being that person for someone can turn the tide and break this sad and dangerous addiction. Losing temper won't cure it, endless visits to psychiatrists and therapists won't help, only the person doing the self-harming knows what they need.

Posted: Jun 15, 2008

I've never known anyone who has or self-mutilates and being a teenager myself I've done it or eventhought about doing it. But with the emotion in which you've written this article shows that you're extemely passionate about this issue. I'm never one to just judge, so although I'm an outsider to this issue, I'm definitely not classed with those that would put the issue into a little labelled box and name them Emos, Cutters etc.

I agree with Jak Sylvian in saying that you've only mentioned one of many reasons in which people self-mutilate. These people do not only need just someone to listen to them or professional help but they need to learn to help themselves before others can help them (but perhaps that would just be an outsider's point of view).

You've written your article well but I think you've only stated the obvious and need to delve deeper into this issue, in order to create greater awareness - I don't know how you could do this but seen as you were 'once a part of it', you are the only one that can this issue across exactly how you want it.

Keep up the good work.

Olola.

Posted: Jun 15, 2008

This is a strange subject, not to say it isn't a good one. I think this generally fits depression, where someone feels so low they need to hurt themselves just to know they're alive. But it's hard to put say that's it. It's wrong that it's disregarded because of their age, or their environments. Saying that, most of us wouldn't know about it unless someone confided in us. I think, therefore we should make the effort to be there for those we care for, because you just never know what kind of day they are having.

Thanks for the inspiring read, I'm impressed by it. :) ~ Nixie

Posted: Jun 16, 2008

With this article you can inspire everone:). This was gorgeous. I loved it. Especially since I've never read an article about teenagers who go through self-mutilation before.

Have you met someone who went through this? You write in a strong case for them, I like that:).

It's really sad that because other people outcast them, they shrink deeper and deeper into that feeling of depression, and then eventually they can never come out from underneath it. You prove a point with this article, and I like it a lot.

If I ever have a friend that suddenly starts doing that to himself/herself I won't abandon them just because I'll remember this article. And because it's not in my nature to abandon a friend as well...

Lot's of special chocolate to you,

Ghiradelli Girl.

Posted: Jun 17, 2008

wow, this is really good! i enjoyed it a lot.
i wish less people would choose to not go through this, self mutilation is so great, but it's a friggen addiction! i self harm and i can't stop, but i hide it, and i only tell certain people, so no one makes fun of me, i don't wear my scars on my arms, except one of my first ones... and i love my scars, i'm not proud of what i did, but my scars are part of my and i wouldn't change that for anything.
i wish there was more help in schools, more information, and help to stop teens going down the same path i went down, to let them know they're not alone and there's better ways to cope with hard emotions. and it sucks because most people just don't understand self injury, they frown on it, because it seems stupid, insane, and suicidal, which it's not.
anyways i've gotten a bit off topic, lol... good article, i liked it.

Posted: Jun 26, 2008

okay i was thinking, i use this website dailystrength.org

and maybe it could help you, it's just basically a website with support groups, and there's one for self injury on there... if you do join, you can add me as a friend, my name there is of course seesawmae lol. anyways maybe i'll see you there... i donno, you don't have to join, i just thought it might help you, as it helped me. take care! ttyl

Posted: Jul 1, 2008

WOW this is so sad and an eye opener. Never really thought about people deliberately hurting themselves. There is so much other bad stuff in the world that it should be human nature to love and protect yourself. I will never complain about my life again. I have never been through anything like this myself or experienced it with anyone else. Now I will certainly be more aware and if there is anyone I can help in anyway I most certainly will try my best. I guess my message to people who are hurting in this way is: Love yourself even when you don't feel it from anywhere or anyone else. One little step at a time and good positive thoughts even in the darkest hours will grow stronger. The human mind is stronger than anything else on earth, it can overcome, poverty, evil, depression etc by constantly reminding yourself that you are good and you are put on earth because it was your destiny to be here. Its up to you to make the best of this world and this life that you can. Even through the worst situations in life you can come through and you can triumph over anything. God Bless you and keep you safe, even if only from yourself. There are more people in the world that love and care than there are not. That is a promise. Love to all of you who are so sad. Here's a little love to keep with you. Di

Posted: Sep 7, 2008

I was there for you. I understood you because I was going through it too. Guess you didn't notice though. I listened to you I let you show me what you did. I was there for you. But you didn't see it I guess. I know how you feel about the parent thing though. You probably don't think I don't but I do.

Posted: Oct 9, 2008