Parenting Teens Blog

If we look at the statistics over 1% of the overall population has at one point in their lives inflicted a self-harming wound.  If we look at the teenage population that percentage is more than 3%, so basically 1 out of 30 teenagers has committed an act of self-harming. People that are finding this confusing, scary or even think it’s stupid should continue reading, because this is just a way of teenagers to cope with their emotional problems and there is nothing to be frightened about.

Many people have different ways of dealing with their problems, some keep to themselves, some cry on their friends shoulder, some turn to isolation and lose themselves in some hobby while other may turn to violence and some of them might even turn to self-harming. Teenager self-harming has become more and more common and that is nothing to be scared about, which is just a way of the teenager to deal with some emotional problems and also a way to let the world around him know in some cases. Most of the teenagers and people that inflict self-harming wounds will never let anyone see those wounds. They keep to themselves and those wounds are their own way of coping with certain problems and emotions, while on the other hand there are a small percentage of people that will actually, when the act is done, show their wounds with guilt.
Self-harm can include many things and in some cases the act of self-harm or self-injury can be a very heavy and difficult injury. While in most cases self-harming consists of picking the skin, scratching, and even burning the skin, sometimes it may go to swallowing sharp objects or deliberate falling from high places or during extreme sports to some other dangerous situations. People around such a person need to be aware that if no help is provided that person might separate him/herself even more from reality and eventually go to more heavier forms of violence and even suicide. The first step is realizing the problem your friend or family member has; the next step is helping him/her in a passive manner.
I said passive manner, which is because people who are prone to self-harming might get agitated and feel pushed and pressured and most people that will inflict self-injuries are not too fond of pressure and tend to bend under it. The best course of action is to let that person know you are aware of the situation and you are willing to talk and help if needed, but never should you push and insist. Unfortunately the beginning is the hardest, this type of person is easy to break down, so all you can do in the beginning is give them support and remind them that you are always there, eventually they will have to open up to you. There are numerous institutions that may help you deal with self-harm, but the fact is that the person that inflicts self-injuries must want to go. If he or she is taken to those institutions against their own will that may cause unwanted consequences and eventually end up in a bad way. Remember, warm words and a big smile can sometimes go a long way.