Self Harm: When Kids Cut

The Hingham 'Cast

Danielle was just 12 when she started cutting. She said, at first, it was an accident, but it quickly became deliberate. She says when the physical pain came, the emotional pain felt like it was bleeding out of her. It's called self harm or self injury and affects 1 in 5 adolescents. Experts say cutting can start for any number of reasons from a child suffering anxiety to a serious mental disorder. The number of kids getting emergency care for mental health issues like self harm are on the rise in the pandemic, according to the CDC, prompting our conversation. Ally talks with Danielle and Barry Walsh, Ph.D. from Open Sky Community Services in Worcester, MA. He shares why kids cut, what parents should look for and how to get help.