What is self-harm?
Self-harm is when someone hurts themselves in order to express, deal with or communicate difficult emotions. In most cases, there is no suicidal intention but a teenager’s safety must always be kept in mind and it’s helpful to have the risk they pose to themselves assessed by a professional.
Self-harm is not a new phenomenon, but it appears to be growing in frequency. Whilst both teenagers and adults, male and female, self-harm, it is most prevalent in teenage girls. However, boys who self-harm tend to cause more damage to themselves and suicide is more common in boys and men.
Self-harm is a serious problem for teenagers, more commonly occurring between the ages from 10 to 19 years with a steep rise in the 17-19 year range in combination with increasing mental ill-health.
How do I know if someone is self-harming?
Self-harm is usually identified by regular marks that are noted on a variety of parts of the body.
Some myths about self-harm
- “Self-harm is attention seeking”
- “I can’t admit to self-harming, my friends will think I’m crazy”
- “People who self-harm can stop easily if they want to”
- “My parents will say it’s a teenage thing and that I will grow out of it”
- “If I’m not wounding myself too much it’s no big deal”
- “I can’t see a doctor, they will say I’m crazy”
- “My parents will be disappointed in me”
- “What’s the point? Nothing helps!”
Some truths about self-harm
- “Self-harm is very private and personal. It is an expression of stress or distress and needs specialist attention”
- “No one will think you are crazy. Most people will confirm they have experienced similar feelings, even if they haven’t carried out the action”
- “Self-harm doesn’t only affect teenagers. It is a sign that is worthy of attention”
- “It’s not necessarily the seriousness of the injury but the fact the injury is happening in the first place that’s important”
- “Self-harm is a coping strategy to distress that is known to doctors and is treatable. Your doctor will not treat you as doing something crazy”
- “There are lots of effective treatments for the causes of self-harm. Take steps to do something about it – there is a point!”
Further information
If you want to know more detailed information about anxiety, here are some additional links for you:
https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/self-injury-and-self-harm/
