As a parent, you'd give your very life to protect your child from anything and everything. For that very reason, it becomes an absolute nightmare when you feel you have to protect your child from themselves. The troubling statistics don't lie. One out of five females and one out of seven males practice some form of self-harm or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). NSSI has many names: self-mutilation, self-injury, self-inflicted violence and cutting, and can take many forms. Among these are cutting, picking scabs, pulling hair, biting, burning, scalding hitting, inserting objects in the skin and even breaking bones. What Self Harm IS Self-harm (NSSI) is the act of harming one's self as a coping mechanism. When the person isn't able to verbalize deep sadness or other overwhelming feelings. Shelf harm can also occur when there is a deep sense of shame or to vent their self-loathing. Often a “numb” feeling prompts a person to act in a way that would help them to “wake up”. …show more content…
Self-harm then becomes a way of exercising control, even if its only of their own bodies. Self-harm is connected to depression, anxiety, eating disorders and physical abuse. Self-harm is an addictive behavior. In the act of expressing these overwhelming feelings through self-mutilation, the body produces a cathartic rush of endorphins. Endorphins are the same chemical present when we experience the release of pain and the presence of pleasure, activating an all-around positive feeling in the body. The brain will start associating this “feel better” rush of endorphins as a soothing feeling connected to the act of self-harm, rather than a destructive activity. What Self Harm IS NOT Because the discovery of self-harm in your child can be a shocking discovery it is very important to not overthink