Cutting for Bieber? Really!

Now I understand that there are many people across the world whom may have issues. But the thought that young people would turn towards self-harm, particularly cutting to stop Justin Bieber from smoking marijuana is almost beyond comprehension. Self-harm is a serious mental health issue among young people world wide. But the has tag #cut4bieber actually trended yesterday in the U.S. This was a protest by teens for Biebers alleged marijuana use. 

The quotes posted on twitter as reported by the Daily Mail

• 'Lets start a cut yourself for bieber campaign,' an anonymous user wrote on the site's message board. 
• 'Tweet a bunch of pics of people cutting themselves and claim we did it because bieber was smoking weed.'

The message board has since been removed. 

The internet trolls also created fake Twitter accounts, pretending to be teenage girls who were posting images of themselves with cut arms, stating that they were self-mutilating themselves in a bid to stop Bieber from smoking marijuana.

What subsequently followed were a slew of other photos posted by Twitter users and alleged Bieber fans, doing the same, most clearly fake, but other very life like. 

Since becoming aware of the trend, fellow Twitter fan Miley Cyrus has now weighed in on the subject, begging individuals to put an end to it.

She retweeted on Monday: '#cut4bieber? Cutting is NOT something to joke about. There are people who are actually suffering from self-harm, this is so disrespectful.'

Cyrus can understand how this publicity and the issues can be clouded by her own experimentation with Salvia. As well as other Disney star, Demi Lovato who suffered from bi-polar disorder and was hospitalized for cutting.

The need for attention by young people or the lack of attention from peers and adults may drive the issues surrounding self-harm. But to justify it via the behavior of a pop star raises the issue to a new level.

Self-harm is its very own mental health disorder. Yes, self-harm can accompany other mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, and more. However, as its own disorder, the reason why people self-harm is because they lack the tool-set necessary to express their feelings in ways we consider to be productive or healthy. Or, at least, that is the current popular theory. The true causes are still not yet exactly known. But the current consensus is, for those who self-harm, the only way they can get quick relief from whatever physiological and psychological tension is building up, on the inside, is through self-mutilation.

Self injury statistics show that this disturbing phenomenon is a real and present danger to vulnerable people worldwide, especially in developed countries, such as the U.S. and those in western Europe. Frequently, untreated depression and other mental health challenges create an environment of despair that leads people to cope with these challenges in unhealthy ways. Check out these self mutilation statistics:

• Each year, 1 in 5 females and 1 in 7 males engage in self injury
• 90 percent of people who engage in self harm begin during their teen or pre-adolescent years
• Nearly 50 percent of those who engage in self injury activities have been sexually abused
• Females comprise 60 percent of those who engage in self injurious behavior
• About 50 percent of those who engage in self mutilation begin around age 14 and carry on into their 20s
• Many of those who self injure report learning how to do so from friends or pro self injury websites
• Approximately two million cases are reported annually in the U.S.

While these self harm statistics are from reliable sources, truly accurate information about rates and trends of self mutilation are difficult to come by because the majority of participants conceal their activities. Their behavior may never come to the attention of medical professionals or other social services.