Do you often wonder why some people self harm or self mutilate or self injury?
Self harm comes under a lot of names – self mutilation, cutting, self injury, deliberate self harm – but all refer to one thing, hurting oneself to ease the burden of deep distressing emotional symptoms. Furthermore, it can also come in many various forms such as cutting (being the most widespread form), burning, hitting, picking skins, scratching, and pulling the hairs out.
Self injury is detrimental to young people’s well being. Consequently, support for self harm help has been created and developed and resource materials for teachers are also given to increase self harm awareness and self harm help as well as to find ways to stop self harming pupils, where possible.
Self injury or self harm is generally not suicidal but a coping mechanism and a way of regulating deep emotional pain.
7 Top Self Harm Help Strategies
Here are the Top 7 ways to stop self harming or minimize it:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT
Self harming is only a symptom of deep emotional distress. CBT can be used to help individuals recognize and learn to address their feelings in rather healthier ways.
- Psychotherapy
It can be used either together with medications treating mental illnesses or simply alone. Otherwise known as “therapy”, psychotherapy actually entails various treatment techniques during which a person talks to professionals for mental health and care who will help the individual identify the problems and work through different ways to give self harm support.
- Post traumatic stress therapy
The objective of this treatment is to decrease physical and emotional symptoms which lead to self harm.
- Group therapy
Self harm training courses offers self harm awareness for anyone. Group therapy, on the other hand, is especially aimed at those who self harm, thereby talking within a group with people who experience the same problems which can be very helpful in reducing shame associated with self injury, as well as introduce healthy ways of expressing emotions.
- Family therapy
Family Therapy addresses family history, prevailing conditions and other related behaviour which can help both the young person who self harms and the family members to learn better communication methods and be more open and directly expressive to one another.
- Hypnosis and relaxation techniques
There are a range of relaxation techniques and approaches which will help young people and others who self harm to release some fo the stress, tension and pressure that they are experiencing, which in turn is likely to helpt o reduce self harming.
- Medications
Self harm can be a remedy for coping with depression, medications such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety can be used to minimize the early impulsive responses to stress. Best advice is always to speak to your physician and seek their advice and/or referral to any of the above options.
