Originally posted by PVS
only kids i ever knew when i was young who cut themselves were f***** up for one reason or another. just because they eventually stop doesnt mean they "grew out" of it, and certainly doesnt mean they are cured of any problems. i think you are blindly overgeneralising here dude.
Hence why I said "most" instead of "all". No generalisation taking place here, just my opinion on what often happens from my experience with these types of people.
If they stop cutting themselves then the initial problem is solved, often, that's the only problem, they're just being a stupid teenager. The fact that most teens do stop as they get older allows one to deduce that it is because they grew out of the phase. Often, this is the case, not *always*, but most of the time.
No, actually, it really isn't. And people don't always grow out of it.One easy way to tell who is really doing it due to true depression and who's doing it because they think it's 'trendy' -- how much attention they call to it. Someone who really is depressed with very rarely call any attention to that fact or talk about it much, while those who are faking for attention will talk about it all the time. It's a generalization, I know, but it's one that I know to be true a large majority of the time, both from experience and observation.
Again, they don't *always* grow out of it, most of the time, they do. Most teens who do this aren't truley depressed and will stop doing it after a while. It's their way of experimenting, much of the time.
Again, this scope of "self mutilation" is not uncommon in teens. Many do it, and many of them simply stop doing it with time. Granted it may be a deeper problem, but with the way most teens exagerate their "depression" it's generally fair to dismiss it as a fad or a phase, as long as they're not cutting deep, or near any vains, you really shouldn't worry too much.
If you truley are worried about her or think that it's stemming from a deeper, more sincere problem with their psyche, and not just them being a stupid teenager, then contact their parents, or try to persuade them to go see a psychiatrist or whatever.