Self-harm in teenagers

‘Self-harm happens when someone hurts or harms themselves.’

Self-harm is a deliberate, intentional injury to one’s own body that causes tissue damage or leaves marks for more than a few minutes. There are many ways in which teenagers can engage in self-harming behavior, but the most common is cutting the skin with knives, blades or pieces of glass. Some of the other forms of self-injury are:

• Burning and hitting oneself
• Scratching or picking scabs
• Overdosing on medications
• Pulling out one’s hair with the intention of hurting oneself
• Inserting objects into one’s body
• Banging heads against the wall
• Biting

Self-harm is a complex behavior that can be best thought of as a maladaptive response to acute and chronic stress, often but not exclusively linked with thoughts of dying.

7 sign of Self Harm Behaviour, Parents and other trusted adults in a teen’s lives need to become aware of these warning signs: 

1. When you see wounds from cutting or scratching in different parts of your teen’s body.
2. When you notice multiple bruises on your teen’s skin or injury for which your teen doesn’t have a clear explanation.
3. When your teen is very interested in self-harm topics ( a sudden interest in reading, learning or talking about self-harm).
4. You notice your teen try to cover his/her body. (wearing a long-sleeved shirt on hot days, multiple Band-Aids or other wraps over the skin in an attempt to hide injuries).
5. When your teen looks anxious, stressed, and sad or at a loss for how to cope with these emotions.
6. A recent activating event, a refusal or failure in something.
7. When your teen stays distant, including shutting off from family and/or friends, spending more time alone.

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