Feeling sad or anger is a natural feeling, but unfortunately, society has taught us that this is wrong, leading to people taking actions into their own hands. Self-harm comes in different ways, a person could cut, burn or prod their skin. Depression, the spreading epidemic leading to self-harm, the single-cut, relieves aa person from their hurts and pains. People who choose this option often keep it a secret because parents/ guardians/ friends might not want to believe anyone would deliberately harm themselves. They also might feel like the topic is way too personal. About 1 in 5 adolescents report having harmed themselves to soothe emotional pain at least once, unfortunately, this is only information gathered from the New York Times survey. There are more people who deal with self-harm but are too scared to come clean, due to the fear of opinions.
Is it too personal to talk about, or should we be informing the new generation about this? We need to inform the new generation about this problem. It is important that we inform the people, that we understand that times may be tough, but this is not the solution. Barent Walsh (the first psychologist to focus on self-abuse) said, Historically this type of behavior was only seen in cases of sexual abuse, with major body alienation. This was not the case, self-harm morphed into the general population, to the point where it was affecting successful kids with money as well as the middle and lower class population. A person might start self-harming, to punish themselves for a mistake, to feel relief from the psychological pain, or to take control of their body (this way they can control something). “Nowadays a lot of younger girls especially are influenced by various media, where this whole self-harm thing is glamorized,” said Blue, a former self-harmer (New York Times) SELF-HArM IS NOT A SUICIDE ATTEMPT! The most common misperception about self-injury is that it is a suicide attempt: A parent walks in on an adolescent cutting herself or himself, and the sight of blood is blinding. In fact, in the mid-1990s, self-harm was entered into the culture. Princess Diana talk about it and Pink featured it in her music video. Janis Whitlock’s survey showed that one in five wealthy college students, dealt with self-harm to confront and ease their emotional pain. In fact The New York Times reported that nearly all studies/surveys have found is that everyone who self-injures does so for differing reasons. It is found that the most effective way of breaking the habit of self-harm is specialized talk therapy, this was originally invented for people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, who are highly suicidal. Ms. Dupil ( a woman diagnosed with bipolar, borderline, depression) said: “There is still hope, if you let the person going through this have some control, if you listen to them, if you’re curious about their behavior and not afraid of it.” Yes, people with habitual self-injury are a risk factor for later suicide, and the only way we can help is to stop judging others and take the time to listen. If you are dealing with depression and thinking about self- harm or know someone who is, I strongly advise you to call the SAMHSA helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357). This helpline is free of all costs, they are open 24/7 and it’s completely confidential. These are some recommended links to look at if you are dealing with depression and self-harm: https://www.crisistextline.org/selfharm https://youmatter.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/issues/self-harm-2/ Self Harm Hotline: 1-800-366-8288 SAMHSA Hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
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November 2019
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