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Self-Injury
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| Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“Kids aren’t very well developed in refraining from impulses. They feel, therefore they must act. They feel sad, they feel angry, and in order to get rid of that they have to act right away.”
– Karen Conterio, founder and administrative director, SAFE Alternatives
For 10 years Sari cut herself with razors and her own fingernails. “It was like I could handle physical pain better than I could handle the mental pain. It was like a rush of endorphins that made me feel better,” says Sari, now 17.
According to a new study from Brown University, self-injury rates are alarming. Researchers surveyed more than 600 high school students and 46 percent reported injuring themselves purposefully in the past year.
“Kids aren’t very well developed in refraining from impulses. They feel, therefore they must act. They feel sad, they feel angry, and in order to get rid of that they have to act right away,” says Karen Conterio, founder and administrative director, SAFE Alternatives.
Most teens who injure themselves are girls -- but not all. Kevin cut himself after the Chicago Cubs lost a baseball game.
“I carved the word ‘Cubs’ into my chest and was watching the blood. It felt like that was the only thing I could do to make myself feel alive, you know?” says Kevin.
In most cases, experts say, a cut, a burn or other self-injury is a cry for help.
“When someone’s cutting themselves, they’re trying to communicate something. It’s a proverbial way of trying to say, ‘hey, something’s going on. I can’t put words to it and I’m not sure what I’m feeling, but can you see what’s going on with me?’” says Conterio.
What caused Sari’s cutting was depression stemming from her parents’ divorce.
Sari’s mom remembers asking her one day, “How could you be sad? It’s your birthday?”
With the help of therapy and medication, Sari is now able to manage her emotions and has stopped cutting. She now has plans for college.
“So now I kind of have a plan, which is good, because I didn’t before,” says Sari.
“I’ve always been proud of her. I really have always been proud of her. I was proud of her when she was walking around in band-aids and baby clothes, and you know I couldn’t be more proud of her now,” says Sari’s mother.
What We Need To Know
- Symptoms that may indicate self-destructiveness include: (MedlinePlus)
- Frequent displays of inappropriate anger
- Recurrent acts of crisis such as wrist cutting, overdosing or self-mutilation
- Feelings of emptiness and boredom
- Intolerance of being alone
- Impulsiveness with money, substance abuse, sexual relationships, binge eating, or shoplifting
- Self-destructive behavior can be changed in social and therapeutic environments such as group therapy. (MedlinePlus)
- How to get help: (Kids Health)
- Tell someone. People who have stopped cutting often say the first step is the hardest: admitting to or talking about cutting. But they also say that after they open up about it, they feel a great sense of relief. Choose someone you trust to talk with (a parent, school counselor, teacher, coach, doctor, or nurse).
- Identify the trouble that's triggering the cutting. Cutting is a way of reacting to emotional tension or pain. Try to figure out what feelings or situations are causing the cutting. Is it anger? Pressure to be perfect? Relationship trouble? A painful loss or trauma? Mean criticism or mistreatment? Identify the trouble you're having and then tell someone about it. This is where a mental health professional can be helpful.
- Ask for help. Tell someone that you want help dealing with your troubles and the self-injuring or cutting. If the person you ask doesn't help you get the assistance you need, ask someone else. Sometimes adults try to downplay the problems teens have or think they're just a phase. If you get the feeling this is happening to you, find another adult (such as a school counselor or nurse) who can help.
- Work on it. Most people with deep emotional pain or distress need to work with a counselor or mental health professional to sort through strong feelings, heal past hurts, and to learn better ways to cope with life's stresses.
- Peer reinforcement of appropriate behavior may be more successful than one-on-one counseling because difficulties with authority figures often prevent learning in such situations. (MedlinePlus)
Resources
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) MedlinePlus
- Kids Health
