McKell, I used to cut as a teenager. I had never heard of it before but discovered it on my own, I'm not sure how. I just found that it really helped me cope with my emotional pain. I never told anyone that I did it because I thought it was so deviant. When I left home and went away to college, a lot of my emotional pain disappeared and so I stopped cutting. About a decade later I read an article in Time or Newsweek about cutting. I was astounded that other people besides myself used this as a coping mechanism! I had thought I was so creative and unique. It really did help me deal with stuff back then, but I am glad this was something that didn't last into adulthood for me.

I hope you can find some help for your son. If he is thinking about self-injury, could it indicate some other pain somewhere in his life? Maybe your T would have some helpful insights.