| Self Injury in Adolescents
Self-injury is the act of deliberately
destroying body tissue, at times to change a way of feeling. Self-injury
is seen differently by groups and cultures within society. This appears to
have become more popular lately, especially in adolescents. The causes and
severity of self-injury can vary. Some forms may include:
- carving
- scratching
- branding
- marking
- picking and pulling skin and
hair
- burning/abrasions
- cutting
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- biting
- head banging
- bruising
- hitting
- tattooing
- excessive body piercing
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Some adolescents may self-mutilate to take
risks, rebel, reject their parents' values, state their individuality or
merely be accepted. Others, however, may injure themselves out of
desperation or anger to seek attention, to show their hopelessness and
worthlessness, or because they have suicidal thoughts. These children may
suffer from serious psychiatric problems such as depression, psychosis,
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Bipolar Disorder. Additionally,
some adolescents who engage in self-injury may develop Borderline
Personality Disorder as adults. Some young children may resort to
self-injurious acts from time to time but often grow out of it. Children
with mental retardation and/or autism may also show these behaviors which
may persist into adulthood. Children who have been abused or abandoned may
self-mutilate.
Why do adolescents self-injure?
Adolescents who have difficulty talking about their feelings may show
their emotional tension, physical discomfort, pain and low self-esteem
with self-injurious behaviors. Although they may feel like the
"steam" in the "pressure cooker" has been released
following the act of hurting themselves, teenagers may instead feel hurt,
anger, fear and hate. The effects of peer pressure and contagion can also
influence adolescents to injure themselves. Even though fads come and go,
most of the wounds on the adolescents' skin will be permanent.
Occasionally, teenagers may hide their scars, burns and bruises due to
feeling embarrassed, rejected or criticized about their deformities.
What can parents and teenagers do about
self-injury?
Parents are encouraged to talk with their children about respecting and
valuing their bodies. Parents should also serve as role models for their
teenagers by not engaging in acts of self-harm. Some helpful ways for
adolescents to avoid hurting themselves include learning to:
- accept reality and find ways to make the
present moment more tolerable.
- identify feelings and talk them out
rather than acting on them.
- distract themselves from feelings of
self-harm (for example, counting to ten, waiting 15 minutes, saying
"NO!" or "STOP!," practicing breathing exercises,
journaling, drawing, thinking about positive images, using ice and
rubber bands, etc.)
- stop, think, and evaluate the pros and
cons of self-injury.
- soothe themselves in a positive,
non-injurious, way.
- practice positive stress management.
- develop better social skills.
Evaluation by a mental health professional
may assist in identifying and treating the underlying causes of
self-injury. Feelings of wanting to die or kill themselves are reasons for
adolescents to seek professional care emergently. A child and adolescent
psychiatrist can also diagnose and treat the serious psychiatric disorders
that may accompany self-injurious behavior.
Information
provided by:
American Academy of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org
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