Teens and Self-harm
March is self-injury awareness month. Self-injury or self-harm is often a response to psychological pain or intense emotional distress. An individual can intentionally cause non-suicidal injuries to their body to reflect the inner pain they are feeling. For some teens, hurting themselves on purpose can feel calming. For others, it is a way to counteract the numbness they are experiencing and feel something. Read on for more information about teens and self-harm.
About teens and self-harm
Many teens keep self-harm activities a secret, though self-harm is not uncommon in adolescents. It is estimated that 17% of American adolescents have engaged in non-suicidal self-injury. In addition, 11% of males and 24% of females reported engaging in self-harm. One method is cutting with something sharp. Other methods are burning, pulling out hair, scratching, hitting, or picking at wounds before they heal over. Some individuals engage in drinking alcohol or doing drugs as a way to harm themselves. Additionally, about 1 in 3 individuals who self-harm say that they learned the behaviors from peers.
Thoughts of self-harm can also be somewhat common among adolescents. However, self-injury is not a mental disorder. A desire to self-harm is motivated by emotional distress. But, emotional distress which can become more intense if self-injury is used as a way to cope with these intense emotions. In addition, engaging in self-harm can be a way to feel in control.
Teens or friends of teens who need help can call or text the following numbers:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7/365): 1-800-273-825
Teen Crisis Text Line (24/7/365): Text CONNECT to 741741
Self-harm symptoms
Some warning signs that your teen may be engaging in self-harm:
Scars
Wounds or injuries that don’t seem to heal
Wearing long shirts or pants on hot days
Unexplainable cuts, burns, or scratches
Refusal to swim, change for gym, or other activities that can be revealing
Bloodstains, bloody tissues in the trash, hidden matches, hidden razor blades
Excessive sleeping
Changes in behavior such as self-isolating or being secretive
Decreased academic performance
Relationship problems
Missing patches of hair
Peers who engage in self-harm
If you notice your child or teen exhibiting these behaviors or talking about self-harm, do not ignore it. Seek help and support from a mental health professional immediately.
How to help your teen
It is a common misconception that teens self-harm as a way of attention-seeking or trying to manipulate someone. However, this is not usually the reason for self-injury and many teens work hard to hide the behavior from others.
Teens who are dealing with self-harm or thoughts of self-harm can benefit from learning more productive and effective coping skills for mental or emotional pain. There are treatment options to help teens feel in control of their emotions. A medical professional can help you and your teen develops a plan to deal with self-injury. This plan can address underlying mental illness and teach coping skills to manage emotions. Additionally, this plan could also include medication and talk therapy such as CBT or DBT. It could even require treatment at a psychiatric hospital. This can be necessary for more severe or urgent cases of self-harm.
Teens who self-harm should be assessed for suicidal behavior, as this can co-occur with self-injury. If you think your child or adolescent is engaging in self-harm, speak calmly with them. Individuals who self-harm usually deal with a large amount of shame. Use non-judgmental language and ask open-ended questions. In addition, avoid expressing disgust, trying to immediately fix the situation or overly-intense responses. Remain calm and offer a collaborative approach to getting support. Moreover, avoid punishments that could make shame worse (like taking the bathroom door away), as this could increase their desire to self-harm. After talking patiently and calmly together, make a plan to get an evaluation and get treatment for the underlying issue that’s motivating self-injury.
Are you looking for more support for your teen or yourself? Please reach out to us. Our team of therapists is here to provide support and guidance. We look forward to connecting with you.
