Although self harm is not a Mental Health problem in itself , it often relates to how a person is coping with other possible Mental Health problems. These possible Mental Health problems may include depression , eating disorders , OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) , bipolar disorder , personality disorder and schizophrenia.
People may find it exhaustingly difficult to cope with their emotions and feelings . Particularly if they are overwhelming and gruelling the person may turn to self harming as a coping mechanism. Self harming gives a sense of relief for the person and helps the person concentrate on the harming ( no matter how bad it may be ) rather than their negative emotions and feelings.
An individual could have a lack of communication with loved ones and family members because of there troubling feelings and emotions , self harm could be there way of showing how they feel. There is a wide range of different people who may self harm , from young teenagers to middle aged adults , although the common age range is between 11 years old and 27 years old.
Often people perceive self harming as attention seeking, when actually the majority of people who self harm are very secretive and discreet about harming themselves.
What Self Harming May Include
. Cutting yourself
. Poisoning yourself
. Over eating and under eating
. Burning your skin
. Inserting objects into your body
. Hitting yourself or walls
. Overdosing
. Exercising excessively
. Scratching or pulling your hair
Why Do People Self Harm?
There are many different reasons why an individual may self harm. It is important that if self harming is an often recurrence for an individual to seek help.
Some of the reasons why a person may self harm include:
. Pressures of school or work
. Bullying
. Money worries
. Sexual , psychical and emotional abuse
. Bereavement
. Sexuality or Gender Confusion
. Divorce or break down of a relationship
. Illness or health problems
. Depression , Anxiety or emotional thoughts and feelings
Why Do People Turn To Self Harm?
. Self harming could make a person feel like they have some control in their life because they may have no control in their current life situations.
. A person may turn to self harm for a sense of relief from all there feelings , emotions , stresses and worries.
. An individual may feel ashamed or embarrassed of themselves and feel like they should be punished , so they turn to self harm as a form of punishment.
. Self harming may be an individuals only way of knowing how to deal with there emotional pain , by turning emotional pain into physical pain.
. Self harming can often be a way of a person to escape the individuals reality.
. It could also be a way of a person expressing there suicidal thoughts without taking their own life.
What A Person Who Self Harm's May Be Feeling Emotionally
. Anger
.Guilt
. Anxiety
. Loneliness And Isolation
. Numbness And Emptiness
. Disconnected
. Trapped
. Unworthy
Signs That Loved Ones Should Look Out For
. Unexplained cuts, bruises , scars and burns on an individuals body
. Blood stains on clothing , towels and bedding
. Being secretive
. Isolation and being disconnected
. Wearing baggy clothing even in warm weather
. Sharp objects being close by the individual such as razors , knives , scissors , bottle caps , needles or glass shards
. Claiming to be clumsy when cuts and bruises keep occurring
Coping Mechanisms
. If an individual is finding it extremely hard to cope with trying not to self harm by cutting , one way to help is to put a bobble or a elastic band around your wrist and lightly pull on it.
. Another coping mechanisms is to distract yourself by doing jigsaw puzzles and quizzes.
. Listening to music could also help an individual to not self harm.
. Reading a book or magazine can also be a coping mechanism.
. Popping bubble wrap may also be helpful.
. Taking up a hobby such as photography or art could distract an individual from self harming.
. Walking and exercise could help improve a person's mood and may decrease the individuals tendency to self harm.
Help And Support
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