There are so many myths about self injury. That's why it's important to know about self mutilation facts when responding to people who ingage in this type of behavior. People self injure to cope with internal emotions, stop bad feelings, relieve emotional numbness, punish themselves, obtain a sense of belonging, get attention, and many other reasons. Read through these guidelines about approaching someone who engages in self injury:
•Remain calm and caring
•Accept them, even if you disagree with the behavior
•Know that this represents a way of dealing with emotional pain
•Listen with compassion
•Avoid panic and overreaction
•Do not show shock or revulsion at what they've done
•Do not use threats in an attempt to stop the behavior
•Do not allow them to recount the self injury experience in detail as it may trigger another session
•Do get appropriate help for them from a qualified mental health professional
The best way to help is to stay informed about self injury statistics and facts. The more you know about the causes of self injury, motivations, and appropriate responses, the more effective you'll be when dealing with someone who engages in this activity.
--------
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
YOU ARE READING
Iodine *TRIGGER WARNING*
Non-FictionThis is an information book on self harm. This book will give you facts, statistics, and advice on self harm, depression, and other issues like that. Feel free to ask me any questions about these topics that you may have. All I really want to do is...
