Self Harm 101
What is self-harm?
Self-harm is defined as any intentional injury to one's own body. This disorder also is called self-harm or self-mutilation. Usually, self-injury leaves marks or causes tissue damage. Self-injury can involve any of the following behaviors:
Cutting.
Burning (or "branding" with hot objects).
Picking at skin or re-opening wounds.
Hair-pulling (trichotillomania).
Head-banging.
Hitting (with a hammer or another object).
Bone-breaking.
Most who engage in self-injury act alone rather than in groups. They also attempt to hide their behavior.
What causes a person to engage in self-injury?
Self-injury can occur in either sex and in any race of people. The behavior is not limited by education, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or religion. However, there are some common factors among people who engage in self-injury. Self-injury occurs more often among:
Adolescent females.
People who have a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
People who have co-existing problems of substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or eating disorders.
Individuals who were raised in families that discouraged the expression of anger.
Individuals who lack the skills to express their emotions and lack a good social support network.
Even though there is the possibility that a self-inflicted injury might result in life-threatening damage, self-injury is not considered to be suicidal behavior. Self-injury usually occurs when people face what seems like overwhelming or distressing feelings. Self-injurers might feel that self-injury is a way of:
Temporarily relieving intense feelings, pressure, or anxiety.
Being real, being alive, or feeling something.
Being able to feel pain on the outside instead of the inside.
Being a means to control and manage pain – unlike the pain experienced through trauma.
Providing a way to break emotional numbness.
Asking for help in an indirect way or drawing attention to the need for help.
Attempting to affect others by manipulating them, trying to make them care, trying to make them feel guilty, or trying to make them go away.
Self-harm could also be a reflection of a person’s self-hatred. Some self-injurers are punishing themselves for having strong feelings that they were usually not allowed to express as children. They also might be punishing themselves for somehow being bad and undeserving. These feelings are an outgrowth of abuse and a belief that the abuse was deserved.
What are the symptoms of self-injury?
The symptoms of self-injury include:
Frequent cuts and burns that cannot be explained.
Self-punching or scratching.
Needle sticking.
Headbanging.
Eye pressing.
Finger or arm biting.
Pulling out one's hair.
Picking at one's skin.
Warning signs that an individual might be engaging in self-injury include:
Wearing pants and long sleeves in warm weather.
The appearance of lighters, razors or sharp objects that one would not expect among a person’s belongings.
Low self-esteem.
Difficulty handling feelings.
Relationship problems.
Poor functioning at work, school, or home.
How is self-injury diagnosed?
If an individual shows signs of self-injury, a mental health professional with self-injury expertise should be consulted. The mental health professional will be able to make an evaluation and recommend a course of treatment.
How is self-injury treated?
Therapy can be used to help a person stop engaging in self-injury:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy .
Post-traumatic stress therapies.
Group therapy.
Family therapy.
Medications (anti-depressants or anti-anxiety)
What to do if you suspect self-harm
Show compassion. If you suspect that your teen is self-harming, or if she tells you she is, it’s important not to panic.
What your teen needs now is compassion — and help. Validate their emotions. Let them know you understand that they’re feeling overwhelmed. But make it clear that there are better ways to deal with it and you’ll help them figure those out.
Get help. The next step is to get your teen some professional help. Look for a mental health professional who has experience treating adolescents who self-harm. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to your pediatrician first.
It’s distressing to learn that your child has been self-harming. But, with your support and a professional’s help, your teen can learn healthier ways of coping with tough emotions.
Need help?
Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-NAMI or text "NAMI" to 741741
SOURCES: Cleveland Clinic, CDC, and NAMI