What is self injury ? The definition of self njury is to hurt or injure ones self due to mental and emotional problems . Self injury is n ever prevalent problem among teens and young adults who find that they cannot deal with stress , anger , sadness , fear , frustration , and other emotions that they feel they cannot easily rid themselves of . Self injury often acts as a stress reliever by releasing endorphins in the brain through unhealthy actions .
One of the most common misconceptions about self injury is that people who self injure are suicidal , but in more cases than one , that is NOT the truth . Self injury acts as a way to relieve difficult emotions that they feel they cannot release any other way , and because of the endorphins released in the brain , the body quickly makes the connection that this is a good way to releave stress .
What does self injury look like ? Self injury can often be noted as cuts or burns on a person's arms , stomach , or legs . The most commonly noted are ciggarette burns and cuts on a person's forearms . Most self injurers often hide these cuts and burns in the form of liquid makeup , long sleeves , long gloves , or a large amount of jewelry .
Some common signs of self injury are :
*wearing long sleeved clothing even in extremem or excessive heat
*being sensitive to the touch on certain areas of their body
*hiding sharp objects in their bedroom , bag , binder , etc.
*has radical or very detailed excuses as to how they got a particular burn or cut
Self injury is something especially hard to spot in an individual , but it is a very serious issue . Self injury can often times cause awful infections at the site of the injury and in many cases pertaining to cutting , a cut can go too deep and can be potentially life threatening . Yet because the self injurer does not want anyone to know they often times won't go for help and be found in critical condition .
If you know someone who is self injuring , now is the time to help , but do not feel guilty thinking that you are the cause . More often than not , self injury is brought on by a person's own internal conflicts with an anxiety disorder . First things first , think carefully about how you will talk to this person . Don't come on to them in a way that may feel threatening , accusing , or in any way that may feel anger fueled . That method will only cause them to feel as if they cannot trust or talk to you . Instead , come to this person in a manner that will show them that they can talk to you. Calmly , tell them your concers , tell them how much they mean to you , and let them know that they can trust and talk to you. Don't be surprised if they deny the claims , but do know that this is a serious issue that MUST be treated .
If you are self injuring , you need to understand that what you are doing is dangerous and damaging , not only to you but to thoughs around you , including your friends and family . Not only does self injury become more an more dangerous the longer you do it but it also becomes an addiction that needs proffesional help to quit . Talk to someone who can help you . Tell them , please .
Self injury is an issue in todays world that needs serious attention . Don't ignore a friend in need . Pass The Help
who wrote all this? cause ive read almost all of these its sooo long
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this happens is really sad. I've known people who've done this. And I used to be involved in self mutilation myself. It is really hard to think about the risks and the danger that comes along for the ride. It's really hard being strong and getting over the constant 'itch' someone might have to hurt themselves. Personally, I felt like if I was already getting hurt, then why not have a form of pain that I could control? It made me feel like I had more control over my body then the horrible world I was living in did. But with life there comes pain, and I've learned that the hard way. Those scars may go away over time, physically. But it's something that will stick with you forever. You will always remember that feeling. And it's important for others that are trying to help people involved in self injury to understand that judging is going to make it worse. Don't call them weak, or stupid, or belittle them. Don't think about them that way either, even if they can't hear you. Tell them the facts, tell them the truth, but be gentle, and be caring about it. Most of the time when you get to that persons emotions, they'll let go and feel like they can trust you. Don't make any promises that you don't intent to keep. If they fall, and you say you'll always be there, you need to make you ARE THERE to catch them. Don't gain their trust and then shatter it. Don't make jokes about it, because it IS serious. The first part of recovery is admitting the problem, and that is one of the hardest things to do sometimes. You might think what you're doing is okay. It's just a way to relieve stress, other people smoke or drink, why can't I hurt myself, too? Other people do it, so it can't be that harmful. As long as I'm not killing myself, then no harm done, right? Wrong. This stuff CAN lead to death. It'd be really nice is people had it in their hearts to not think of their friends or loved ones any differently if they found out that this was going on in their lives. They are still that person you know and live. Everyone has some problems, whether they admit it or not. This is a very SERIOUS problem, that happens more than people would think. They are still human, and they still have feelings and emotions, and need respect and love just like everyone else on this planet. Try making them feel good about themselves, show them the good things in life, things that can overpower the bad. It does take time, energy, and commitment to recover and/or to help someone else. You have to want it, and know that it's worth it. Even if it is one person. Their lives are precious, and they have a purpose on earth. We all do.
ReplyDeleteI used to self injure too and it is absolutely about control and it has been such a long road getting over this two year addiction . I felt more control about my emotions , my world , my everything but I was hurting myself worse . When people saw the cuts and the scars I often got made fun of , and in my lifetime , I've met a great deal of people who also self injured , so I felt that others needed to be aware of the position tha alot of people face every day .
ReplyDelete