Self-injury in Adolescents

Why would teens cut on themselves?

Often children who are sensitive, caring, caretaking of others do not take good care of themselves. They tend to hold in their feelings when upset or hurt saying it doesn’t matter. After a period of time, this negating of feelings becomes a pattern to a point where a person does not feel anything. When all these feelings accumulate to a point where it is overwhelming, children may attempt to cut to see the pain they feel on the inside. This becomes a release of pressure momentarily but then rebuilds up again over time to where cutting occurs again.

To help with this, a Child/Adolescent evaluation should assess all concerns of the child. If medication is needed that will be assessed. Also counseling is important to help teens begin to identify what is upsetting them, then looking at options teens have to cope with these feelings versus just pretending they do not matter.

Some times the cutting becomes addictive, teens say they get a high, feel a rush when they cut which is a temporary fix but not addressing the real issues or ways to cope with self harm.

Sometimes teens will seek attention from peers by showing them their scars, or daring them to fit in by cutting. This needs to be openly discussed that this is not acceptable behavior, there are other ways to cope that do not include self harm.

Jean Beck, APRN, BC
Child Psychiatry, St John’s Mercy Medical Center

RESOURCES:

• Check with your pediatrician.
  
  
• Check the back of your insurance card for the mental health number and ask for a referral to a child/adolescent psychiatrist who can assess all concerns and guide you to proper help.
  
  
• St. John's Mercy Child Psychiatry also recommends the following resource for information on self-injury in adolescents:
  
  http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/73.htm