Self Harm Research Paper

700 Words3 Pages

To cut or not to cut, don 't let the blade take control. Understanding self harm is important for knowing how to help loved ones. Self harm is common in youth, it can look different in different people and can be prevented through support.

Understanding self harm can be a hard thing, but learning more and supporting loved ones can help minimize the behavior. Self harm is an act of harming ones self often to feel temporary relief from emotional pain. Some people use self harm as a way to have some control in there life when they may not have any other. If a person is being neglected then harming themselves is a way to have control, they can go however deep or long that they feel they need to. An important thing to know is self harm is not a …show more content…

Self harm can look different for different people, some people will cut, burn, bruise, ingest toxic substances, and pull hair, there are a lot more but that 's just a few. Some things you should look for in someone who might be self harming is unexplained wounds(cuts or burns on arms, legs, or stomach), wearing long sleeves or pants in hot weather, and unexplained scars. People usually cover there wounds because there embarrassed by it or don 't want anyone to notice it, they could feel shame or be fearful to talk about it. Watching for signs is an important part, if your loved one is becoming more secluded or secretive, if knives, razors, and sharpeners are going missing. Some people will also misuse drugs and alcohol which could lead to legal problems such as jail time, probation, car accidents, and injury. Some people also have a change in there eating patterns. They could be bulimic which is binging (eating lots) and then purging (vomiting it all up), or anorexic with is restricting for long periods of time to lose weight. Self harm can be a sign of low self esteem, hate for ones self, social problems (being bullied, work, school, relationships, sexuality), trauma like abuse or death of a loved one, and physiological problems (voices in head, borderline personality disorder,