Self-Harm and Young People
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What is self-harm?
Self-harm is when someone deliberately hurts or mutilates their body without the intention to die (although it can have lethal results). Self-harm often begins in teenage years and can be a way of communicating or coping with distress. Not all young people who self harm are suicidal. There are a number of reasons why someone may self-harm. These include: a way to ask for help, a way of coping with stress or emotional pain, a symptom of a mental illness like depression and/or it may indicate that someone is considering suicide.
What to look for
There are many different types of behaviours that can be considered self-harming.
These include...
- Self-cutting – eg cutting of any part of the body including the upper arms, wrists, or thighs
- Self-poisoning – eg swallowing excessive amounts of prescribed or illegal drugs or other substances that cause harm
- Self-burning – eg using cigarettes or lighters to burn the skin
There are other behaviours that are not formally considered to be self-harming behaviours but are 'risk taking' behaviours that can lead to personal harm. Some examples are train surfing, driving cars at high speed, illegal drug use, or repetitive unsafe sexual practices whilst knowing of safe sex practices.
What causes self-harm?
In most instances when someone self-harms it is an attempt to relieve, control or express distressing feelings. Young people self-harm for different reasons and sometimes it can be difficult to put the reasons into words. Some who self-harm may not know other ways of telling people about their emotional pain, and some may feel a sense of control over pain when they self-harm.
Some people are more at risk of self harming. They include people who have experienced:
- Emotional, physical or sexual abuse,
- Stressful and highly critical family environments
- And/or suffer from a mental illness, such as depression.
What you can do if...
Try to talk to someone about it. Telling a trusted adult can help to make sure you are safe and get medical assistance if you need it. If you repeatedly self-harm it is best to get some counselling as this can help you to feel better and find other ways of coping. If you are having suicidal thoughts you should see a professional or call your local hospital or lifeline (such as Kids help line on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14).
Counselling usually involves helping to increase problem solving, communication and coping skills. Sometimes this can take time so it’s best to keep attending counselling even if you think its not helping the first couple of times. Feeling guilty, angry, and/or ashamed can make seeking help difficult or scary. But trying to be open to counselling or support can assist you to feeling less overwhelmed and stressed in the long run.
Tips - some self-help techniques that may be helpful (these techniques may not work for everyone but it can be helpful to give them a try to see if you can find one that might work for you):
- Using a red pen to mark the skin instead of cutting
- Hitting a punch bag to vent anger or frustration
- Exercising
- Making lots of noise (e.g. with an instrument, banging pots and pans)
- Writing your negative feelings on a piece of paper and then ripping it up
- Scribbling on a large piece of paper with a red pen
- Writing a diary or a journal
- Talking to a friend (not necessarily about self-harm)
- Doing a collage/artwork
- Going online and looking at self-help websites
Using another, less harmful, type of self-harm can also be helpful, such as:
- Rubbing ice on the skin instead of cutting
- Putting elastic bands on the wrists and flicking them instead of cutting
- Eating a chilli
Some young people stop self-harming on their own, while others need support to find new ways of coping. The best way to help someone you know that is self harming is to encourage and support them to seek professional help. Try to make them feel safe enough to discuss their feelings. Try to remain calm and maintain an open attitude, recognising the young person may feel ashamed of their actions and be fearful of your judgements. Phrases like 'attention seeking' or 'cry for help' can seem judgmental
and may stop a young person from disclosing their self harm.
It is important that you ask the young person whether he/she feels suicidal. Call your local hospital or mental health service to get professional help if you think the young person is suicidal.
Initial treatment involves dealing with any immediate medical complications of self-harm, if present. Call an ambulance (000) or take the person to the accident and emergency department of the local hospital if the person needs urgent medical attention.
Supporting someone who self harms can be a stressful experience, so getting support for yourself is also recommended.
This information was produced in conjunction with ORYGEN Youth Health.