How to stop hurting yourself?
If you have hurt yourself, write down what caused it to happen so in the future you can prevent it from happening. Play some kind of musical instrument. Even if you don’t really know how to play, picking out tunes is a way to concentrate and help get rid of the urge to harm yourself. Yoga. Allow yourself to cry.
How to deal with a swollen leg?
Learn to confront others respectfully/make your own feelings known instead of keeping them inside. Go outside and scream and y ell.
What is the only control we have over our own children?
it’s important to remember that the only control we have over any human being, including our own children, is the power of persuasion that exists within our relationship with her. Our relationships should be built on alliance, not compliance.
What to do if your teen is cutting?
What Parents Can Do. If your teen is cutting, there ways to help. By coping with your own feelings, learning about cutting, finding professional help, and just being there to love and believe in your teen, you'll provide the calm, steady support that he or she needs. Accept your own emotions.
Why do teens cut?
Some teens cut because of peer pressure — and once they start, they can't easily stop. Other teens feel pressure to be perfect and struggle to accept failures or mistakes. And still others contend with powerful moods like anger, sadness, worthlessness, and despair that feel hard to control or too heavy to bear.
How to help a child with stress?
Be aware that you can influence how your child responds to stress and pressure by setting a good example. Notice how you manage your own emotions and deal with everyday frustrations, stress, and pressure. Notice whether you tend to put others down, or are self-critical or quick to anger.
Elliott
I know that we all want our kids to talk to us, but soemtimes we may not feel like we are the safest person for them to talk to from their point of view. I think thast for many it is all about recognizing and understanding that we are very aware of what is going on, that it could hurt them, and that we wnat to help in any way possible.
Nic
Speaking from experiance as a teen who was a cutter, my parents handled it very badly and they were actually part of the problem. So making time to hang out with them or forcing me to talk about it just made it worse.
Dee
thank you for sharing your story. I recently found myself approached by a camp counselor who thought that my daughter might be cutting herself. I almost broke down and cried because the first thing that went through my mind is that I was the cause of her feelings. I am so sorry that your parents were so selfish and did not help you.
SiSi
I just found out yesterday that my daughter is cutting herself. This is the first time she has done this. She and her father are butting heads. I talked to her calmly to try and find out the issue. She talked a little but not much. I let her lay in my bed with me and we watch tv until she fell asleep. I am concerned though.
millie
How do you not overreact as a parent? You see your kids doing something that could so obviously hurt them and you want to jump in and protect them and stop the behavior.
raoul
This is going to be soemthing that is difficult for any parent out there. Why are they doing this to cry out for help when they could simply ask? I think that this is a question that many of us would struggle with and there could be no easy answer for that exact question.
Harry
I guess I am out of the loop but I had honestly never heard of teens doing this until we learned that our own daughter was one of the ones who did. We did freak out a little before taking a huge step back and deciding that the better tactic was to try to get to the root of the issue instead of yelling and crying.
Why is it important to treat a teen who is cutting?
It is critical to seek treatment for your teen right away if she is cutting, both to help treat any underlying psychiatric problems, like depression or anxiety and to prevent cutting from becoming a bad habit. The longer a teen cuts herself, the harder it becomes to break the habit.
How does cutting help teens?
Treatment for cutting will likely focus on helping the teen develop healthier coping mechanisms when faced with feelings of anger, stress, or sadness. It will also help boost a teen's self-esteem, help manage any underlying psychiatric problems, and help make sure that the teen isn't having thoughts of suicide .
Why do kids cut?
While it is sometimes seen as an attention-seeking behavior, cutting is a way for kids to release tension, relieve feelings of sadness or anger, or distract themselves from their problems. Of course, any relief is only temporary.
What are the symptoms of a teen's anxiety?
Routinely has suspicious cuts, scratches, or burns on her belly, legs, wrists, or arms. Is developing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or alcohol abuse 3 . Has trouble controlling her emotions (like if your teen doesn't know how to handle herself when she feels sad or angry)
Who should be evaluated for a cut?
Teens who cut should be evaluated and treated by counselors or psychologists who have experience in treating teens with this particular condition. These types of professionals are skilled at talk therapy and can provide a safe, non-judgmental space in which your teen can speak openly about the problems that she's facing.
Who is Adah Chung?
Adah Chung is a fact checker, writer, researcher, and occupational therapist. Cutting is a type of self-harm in which teens deliberately cut or scratch themselves with knives, razor blades, or other sharp objects, but not with any intention of trying to commit suicide. Other self-harm behaviors can include head-banging, ...
What to do if your teen is cutting?
If you suspect your teen is cutting, talk to your family physician or your local public health department to find a mental health treatment program that can help. Parents are cautioned to understand that treatment probably won’t simply be a matter of medication and/or a few visits with a therapist.
How to stop cutting?
Go to your parents, a medical professional, a school counselor, or any adult you trust and tell them you want to stop cutting. If the person you approach downplays your cutting, go ask another adult for help. Stay with it. Breaking your cutting habit will not be easy.
How many people are self-abusive?
Broad estimates are that about one percent of the total U.S. population, or between 2 and 3 million people, exhibit some type of self-abusive behavior. But that number includes those with eating disorders like anorexia, as well as those who self injure.
Why do kids cut themselves?
And for a very small group of kids, they use it to punish themselves because they feel they don't deserve to live, breathe, or take up space. They may cut themselves in the context of an extreme emotional situation.
What is the best treatment for self injury?
Elements of successful treatment for self-injury include individual therapy with a skills component such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which is a type of cognitive therapy that helps one increase emotional and cognitive regulation by improving coping skills. It's also important to include family skills training and family therapy.
What percentage of high school students are self-injurious?
Approximately 14 to 18 percent of high school students and between 12 to 35 percent of college students in the United States engage in some form of self-injurious behavior at least once. The age of onset often occurs in early adolescence, between the ages of 11 and 14.
How to treat self harming behavior?
There's no one best way to treat self-injuring behavior, but the first step is to tell someone so you can get help. Treatment is based on your specific issues and any related mental health disorders you might have, such as depression.
How to deal with self injury?
Keep your doctor or mental health professional's phone number hand y, and tell him or her about all incidents related to self-injury. Appoint a trusted family member or friend as the person you'll immediately contact if you have an urge to self-injure or if self-injuring behavior recurs. Take care of yourself.
What is a mental health professional?
You may be referred to a mental health professional with experience in treating self-injury for evaluation. A mental health professional may also evaluate you for other mental health disorders that may be linked to self-injury, such as depression or personality disorders.
What is mindfulness therapy?
Mindfulness-based therapies, which help you live in the present, appropriately perceive the thoughts and actions of those around you to reduce your anxiety and depression, and improve your general well-being. In addition to individual therapy sessions, family therapy or group therapy also may be recommended.
How can psychotherapy help you?
Known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy can help you: Identify and manage underlying issues that trigger self-injuring behavior. Learn skills to better manage distress. Learn how to regulate your emotions. Learn how to boost your self-image.
What to do if you injure yourself?
If you injure yourself severely or repeatedly, your doctor may recommend that you be admitted to a hospital for psychiatric care. Hospitalization, often short term, can provide a safe environment and more-intensive treatment until you get through a crisis. Mental health day treatment programs also may be an option.
How to improve your social skills?
Develop skills to improve your relationships and social skills. Develop healthy problem-solving skills. Several types of individual psychotherapy may be helpful, such as: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, adaptive ones.
What is dialectical behavior therapy?
Dialectical behavior therapy has been proven effective in the treatment of several different conditions including self-harm and cutting, drug addiction, alcohol addiction and borderline personality disorder.
What is DBT therapy?
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a specific type of cognitive-behavioral-psychotherapy developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan. It was originally developed as a way to treat borderline personality disorder. [1]
Why do people use talk therapy?
Stress is one of the most common factors behind self-harm. By using talk therapy as a means of creating individualized strategies for coping with stress, the DBT helps reduce the need for self-harm. Enhance the world-view of the individual so he understands the impact his actions have on friends, family and the rest of society. ...
How does DBT work?
DBT works to eliminate unwanted behavior through the enhancement of an individual’s self-image, interpersonal skills, and decision-making skills. DBT often includes the use of cognitive role-playing and talk-based therapy. During a DBT session, the counselor will often re-enact certain events from the life of the patient.
What is a DBT session?
During a DBT session, the counselor will often re-enact certain events from the life of the patient. Through a series of questions the counselor establishes how the individual can change his behavior in order to bring about a different, more productive outcome.
What is Michael's House?
Michael’s House is a residential drug rehabilitation facility that uses dialectical behavior therapy to treat individuals with self-harm issues, drug addiction as well as a number of other conditions.
