Cutting the Soul

Theresa Larsen's son, Matthew, comes to her with a cut on his hand, explaining it away as an accident with a pocket knife. But as she cleans and treats the wound, she discovers dozens of slashes covering both of his arms. Thus begins Larsen's compelling personal memoir about what it's like to be the parent of a mentally ill teenager.

"Cutting the Soul" offers a firsthand look at mental illness, both financially and emotionally. Matthew, fourteen years old when he starts cutting, goes on to face other hardships, including suicide attempts, severe depression, and multiple stays in psychiatric hospitals.

Readers get an inside look at Matthew's life through the inclusion of his selected journal entries, and Larsen shares her own struggles with personal demons as she tries to help her son. It's a first-person account and an educational guide worth reading for any parent who's coping with the mental illness of a child.