What are the emotions and thought processes that drive us to self-harm?
The Wave Clinic in Malaysia deals with children and young people who self-harm. They run a facility of an exceptionally high standard that specialises in a range of mental health and addiction disorders.
There’s so many patterns of behaviour that could be interpreted as self-harming, without recognising the most frequent behaviours of
- cutting or slashing the skin
- burning
- picking wounds or sores
- punching, biting
- pulling out hair
- biting the inside of their mouths
- misusing alcohol or drugs
- refusing food or water
- eating disorders
Self-harm is often done in secrecy and the alarming statistics in Australia reflect over 12% of our youth in this country have self-harmed at some point. Reference (https://headspace.org.au)
Stress And Self-Harm
Is stress the cause of self-harm? If we remove the stress will the self-harming behaviour stop? It appears it is not as easy as taking away the “stressors”. The brain has its own methods of making us feel “normal” and after reading many texts around this very subject, I know why I am not a psychologist. One theory put forward is that those who self-harm actually have lower levels of the stress hormone, so when cortisol levels are low inflicting “pain” by self-harming is like a quick “pick me up”, resulting in cortisol levels reaching a more normal level.
The Role Of The Parent Or Guardian
What can parents do to help our kids? Professional help needs to be sought, so the first point of call is the GP. The availability of resources maybe covered in the public health system and there is provision for a mental health plan to be put in place. 10 sessions per year with an accredited health professional approved by the scheme.
Mental health treatment can be financially beyond the reach of parents, especially if the treatment period is over a prolonged period.
Release Of Super For Mental Health And Addiction
The Australian Government allows us to access our super early in certain circumstances. If you have mental health or addiction problems, or one of your dependents needs therapy or rehab give us a call at www.releasemysuper.com.au
1300 090 261
Our correspondent
Baker Rushford Publishing
