Self-harm in adolescents is all those acts that put their integrity at risk and are based on causing damage to their own body. This behavior can manifest itself in different ways, such as through burns, blows or possibly one of the most visible, cuts. According to the psychiatrist specialized in children and adolescents Beatriz Martínez, self-harm has increased by 46% in the last twenty years. “It is very common to find self-harm [in adolescents],” she warns.
Arms, legs, torso, they can occur in different parts of the body and are characterized because they are always a deliberate act, that is, adolescents inflict harm on themselves on purpose. And often compulsively. Although it can also be something much more sporadic and is also considered self-harming behavior. Although initially the intention is not for the wounds to be lethal, this situation can escalate into something even more serious. So it will be vital to identify these cases and take the necessary actions to help adolescents in this situation as soon as possible.
Adolescents who self-harm do not have an intention or desire to die, this being the main difference between self-harming and suicidal behavior. What is intended is the regulation of a series of emotions that generate discomfort and which one is unable to face or manage.
The psychologist Monserrat Fernández explains that adolescents thus manage to relieve, always temporarily, the emotional pain they are suffering. Therefore, the way to reduce the psychological stress they suffer, and which becomes the cause of said behavior, is to self-harm. And this, in turn, is a symptom of the delicate emotional and psychological situation they suffer.
The specialist highlights that, although the most frequent acts have to do with cuts, burns or blows, there are also indirect forms of self-harm. These have to do with risky sexual behaviors, the consumption of alcohol, drugs or pills, as well as other behaviors, for example, not eating. In fact, teenagers can perform more than one at a time.
For these adolescents, physical pain becomes a distraction from the emotional pain that pushes them to this behavior, says the psychologist. Trauma, personality disorders, depression, substance or alcohol abuse, the origin that gives rise to this symptom of self-harm can be of a very diverse nature.
The main task of parents when dealing with a teenager who self-harms is to identify this situation as soon as possible. If you spend a lot of time alone, if you always wear clothes that cover your body, even if it is hot, avoid doing activities that involve showing parts of your body, or have wounds and injuries that seem unexplained. These are all signs that warn of a case of self-harm.
Next, it is necessary for parents to approach the topic from a calm point of view, without allowing perceived fear or alarms. Monserrat Fernández advises supporting the adolescent without allowing room for guilt. Just as spending more time with him, suggesting activities, transmitting support and security is the key. And, of course, go to a psychologist specialized in these cases.
