The girl, her arms bleeding, is experiencing a small moment of clarity symbolized by the white circle around her. When I cut myself up, it's to escape the frenetic emotional whirlwind going on in my head. It never lasts, which is why cutting is a chronic behaviour.
For more information on cutting, check out Marilee Strong's book "A Bright Red Scream," or visit Self Injury.net online.
Let it be known that teenagers aren't the only folk who intentionally injure themselves. I'm definitely not a teenager and I still submit to it occasionally.
