Articles From Experts
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Self-Mutilation is the voluntary act of inflicting injury upon the self. Usually, teenagers who self-mutilate - cut, bruise and provoke scabbing of the skin on their arms or legs. However, as the illness progresses, the injuries can spread to more private areas of the body.Tattooing and body piercing have become more respected methods for expressing one's inner thoughts and feelings. Their popularity has rendered diagnosing a possible borderline illness more difficult for professionals and family members. For instance, discerning the difference between what is a rebellious form of expression as opposed to a serious indication of an illness is more problematic and less concrete in definition. Adolescents who self-mutilate, are calling for attention to a psychological issue. There are two reasons for injuring in private: · Some adolescents report feeling such pain and grief that the self-mutilation is a method for feeling something other than the despair that they cannot seem to shake it off. They are searching for a force greater than the internal one that is plaguing them. Their feelings indicate a chronic, moderate depression. Alleviating the internal depression can go a long way to encourage the cessation of self-injury.· The other group reports feeling 'empty' most of the time. They demonstrate a lack of identity. Some are not even certain of their gender orientation. Frequently, they try different looks but once a group of adolescents embraces them into their clique, they alter the 'look' for fear of being 'labeled.' Their self-injury is a venue for which they search for proof of being alive. The adage, "I had to pinch myself to make certain I wasn't dreaming' suits this group. Their issues speak of a possible borderline illness, which is a personality disorder in which the adolescent is unsure of boundaries that separate themselves from others.These reasons encourage compulsive use of the self-mutilation. Adolescents who self-mutilate report feeling bereft if unable to self-injure. To avoid suspicion many tend to wear long sleeves and long pants to hide their injuries. Moreover, they report needing to find new areas of unscarred territory in which to self-mutilate. Ironically, they also report self-loathing for what it is they have done to their bodies, which encourages further isolation and thus further self-injury. Caught up in a vicious cycle many report eventual feelings of suicidal longing. The depth and placement of the injuries indicate the seriousness of acting quickly. For instance, some adolescents injure in a surface-like way; others demonstrate a strong urgency to broach suicide. If a parent, teacher or counselor sees injuries close to the inside of the wrist or the sides of the neck, this is cause for quick action to the nearest emergency room. What should not be done on discovery: Often parents tend to forbid the child from doing it again or threaten grounding. Neither of these methods work and instead, facilitates greater secrecy and deception upon the part of the adolescent.
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