▁someone ▁to ▁understand ▁her ▁by ▁listening ▁to ▁what ▁she ▁has ▁to ▁say . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Da wn ' s ▁father ▁remains ▁distant ▁and ▁em otion less ▁as ▁usual . ▁Russell ▁thinks ▁only ▁of ▁himself ▁and ▁is ▁afraid ▁that ▁he ▁will ▁be ▁bl amed ▁for ▁Da wn ' s ▁self - harm . ▁Iron ically , ▁the ▁new ▁stra ins ▁that ▁her ▁condition ▁has ▁put ▁on ▁her ▁family ▁leave ▁Da wn ▁further ▁unable ▁to ▁co pe , ▁and ▁she ▁wind s ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁emer gency ▁room ▁after ▁seriously ▁burning ▁herself ▁with ▁a ▁cig aret te ▁l ighter ▁in ▁a ▁des perate ▁attempt ▁to ▁alle vi ate ▁the ▁stress . ▁ ▁Lor raine ▁introdu ces ▁Da wn ▁to ▁her ▁psych iat rist , ▁Dr . ▁P are lla ▁( R he a ▁Perl man ) ▁who ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁only ▁understanding ▁voice ▁in ▁the ▁tor ment ▁of ▁Da wn ' s ▁vol atile ▁and ▁pain ful ▁world . ▁Real izing ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁alternative ▁for ▁Da wn , ▁her ▁parents ▁agree ▁to ▁allow ▁her ▁to ▁begin ▁coun s elling ▁with ▁Dr . ▁P are lla . ▁Through ▁coun s elling , ▁Da wn ▁slowly ▁begins ▁to ▁understand ▁that ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁her ▁dis order ▁st ems ▁not ▁simply ▁from ▁her ▁constant ▁feelings ▁of ▁abandon ment ▁by ▁the ▁people ▁she ▁lov es , ▁but ▁also ▁from ▁her ▁in ability ▁to ▁express ▁this ▁pain ▁through ▁ver bal ▁channels . ▁Instead , ▁Da wn ▁uses ▁cutting ▁to ▁communicate ▁what ▁she ▁feels ▁inside . ▁Her ▁in ability