{"id":120214,"date":"2024-10-30T22:34:48","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T15:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=120214"},"modified":"2024-10-30T22:34:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T15:34:48","slug":"self-harm-why-it-happens-and-how-to-treat-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=120214","title":{"rendered":"Self-harm: Why it happens and how to treat it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-reorderable=\"content\">\n<p data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/editor-note\/instances\/cm2mb9hm500043b6jk03lnk47@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"editor-note\" class=\"editor-note vossi-editor-note inline-placeholder \" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n    <em>Editor\u2019s Note: This story contains details of self-harm that some readers may find upsetting or triggering. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters.<\/em><br \/><em>In the US: Call or text 988, the Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline.<\/em><br \/><em>Globally: The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n    <cite class=\"source__cite\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__location\" data-editable=\"location\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__text\" data-editable=\"source\">CNN<\/span><br \/>\n        \u00a0\u2014\u00a0<br \/>\n    <\/cite>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2klfgub00532cno1w1v8un6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Megan walked the halls of her suburban Houston junior high in shame. It was the first time she had to attend school with bruises on her face from the abuse by her father, who was an alcoholic.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr00063b6j5542fmyj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cI was really frustrated about that and just how unfair it was, and how embarrassed I was,\u201d Megan \u2014 who is now 35 and asked that her last name not be used due to the sensitivity of the subject \u2014 said of that moment that occurred over 20 years ago. \u201cAnd I couldn\u2019t escape having to continue to go to (my dad\u2019s) house.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr00073b6jk91ywauq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            When Megan got home from school and found herself alone, she grabbed a kitchen knife, locked herself in the bathroom and cut her forearm open. She had just recently learned about self-harm after asking a friend about her many bandages and long sleeves.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr00083b6jztjsx6rv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cIt was always after the visits to (my dad\u2019s) house,\u201d Megan said. \u201cI would come back (to my mom\u2019s house) and just have all of this frustration and not know what to do with it. \u2026 At my dad\u2019s house, there was no control. I had no control. So (harming myself) was more of a way that I was in control.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr00093b6jeycfcjt5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Over the next few years, Megan\u2019s father continued to abuse her and she self-harmed to cope, as it helped her focus on the physical pain instead of the emotional pain. After getting kicked off the cheerleading squad at age 15, she ran upstairs to her bathroom with a knife in tow, Megan said. But her mother had caught on and tried to break the door down, \u201cscared sh*tless that I was trying to kill myself.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000a3b6j13bnalhw@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            A couple days later, Megan began therapy to hash out her trauma and learn different ways to process her pain. Though her mother feared Megan was suicidal, Megan insisted the behavior had nothing to do with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/01\/25\/health\/teen-suicide-risk-socially-withdrawn-wellness\/index.html\">wanting to die<\/a> \u2014 instead, she said, self-harming was a desperate attempt to keep her unbearable feelings of anger, sadness, guilt and shame from running wild.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000b3b6je66jbegl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Self-harm commonly takes the form of cutting or scratching until the body bleeds, but it can also include burning, bruising or even intentionally breaking bones, said Dr. Janis Whitlock, founder and director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery at Cornell University in New York state. Some experts refer to the behavior as non-suicidal self-injury, or NSSI.<strong\/>\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000c3b6jax3o2dw2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            In 2019 there were 363,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhamcs\/web_tables\/2019-nhamcs-ed-web-tables-508.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">emergency department visits<\/a> for self-harm, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The following year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhamcs\/web_tables\/2020-nhamcs-ed-web-tables-508.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saw a 48.5% drop<\/a>, likely due to the tendency to avoid medical care to not overburden medical providers or risk getting sick during the Covid-19 pandemic, Whitlock said.<strong\/>\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000d3b6jse60gffn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            But in 2021, there <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhamcs\/web_tables\/2021-nhamcs-ed-web-tables-508.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">were 660,000 visits<\/a> \u2014 a nearly 253% increase from 2020 and roughly an 82% spike from 2019.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000e3b6jckb5rbde@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            These increases align with reports of rates of mental health challenges climbing before the pandemic, which only made things worse for many people, Whitlock said. Also, the proximity to loved ones during lockdowns may have made parents more aware of self-harm, potentially contributing to more emergency department visits.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000f3b6j8qwerny2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Most experts agree that self-injury is a cry for help and arises from a person trying and failing to process stress, said Dr. Jeremy Jamieson, professor and chair of psychology at the University of Rochester in New York state.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000g3b6jdt3xrtaj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            If someone is feeling disconnected from the world, Megan said, they might self-injure to try to reconnect. If someone is feeling less than human \u2014 known as depersonalization \u2014 they may self-harm to feel human again. Self-harm can also be a form of self-punishment among those feeling guilt or shame and thus like they deserve physical pain.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000h3b6jh9vk3b0z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            There\u2019s also a neurophysiological explanation for why people hurt themselves, said Dr. Vibh Forsythe Cox, director of the Marsha M. Linehan Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle. It involves the body\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neurology.org\/doi\/10.1212\/WNL.0b013e3182662098#:~:text=The%20endogenous%20opioid%20system%20consists,subjects%20have%20been%20recently%20reviewed.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">endogenous opioid system<\/a>, a neurochemical system with key roles in pain modulation, reward, stress responses and more.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000i3b6jb779yzjh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            When the body realizes it\u2019s experiencing damage, the opioid system sends out endorphins that act as painkillers so the body can escape whatever the danger is. Self-harm triggers this same response, Cox said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbaysr000j3b6j75m1jcdo@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThe data suggests a neurological link between the perception of physical pain and the perception of emotional pain \u2014 where there is a spike and drop in one, there may be a spike and drop in the other,\u201d Whitlock said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000k3b6jc4c62zjk@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            When people self-harm, they run the risk of accidentally causing a much more serious problem \u2014 such as irreparable damage or infection that could lead to death, Whitlock said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000l3b6ja1j7nhr8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Secondly, while self-injury isn\u2019t necessarily a suicide attempt, data suggests the former can sometimes be a precursor to suicidality.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000m3b6j8bohkuxk@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The suicide rate among adults who self-harmed was 37 times greater than the suicide rate in the general population, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/psychiatryonline.org\/doi\/full\/10.1176\/appi.ajp.2017.16111288\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a 2017 study<\/a>. And in Whitlock\u2019s own research, she has found that 65% of teens who self-injure likely will also be suicidal at some point.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000n3b6jtjqfixr5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThe very act of engaging in self-injury reduces inhibition to suicidal behavior if someone becomes suicidal,\u201d said Whitlock, senior adviser for the JED Foundation, a suicide prevention and mental health organization in Boston. \u201cHaving \u2018practiced\u2019 injuring the body repeatedly makes it easier to injure the body with suicidal intent.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000o3b6j3f2lb5ju@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Self-injury, like many mental health issues, takes time to treat, experts said, and people who self-harm usually don\u2019t stop until they\u2019re ready. Typically, this happens when they learn other coping skills and find motivating reasons for living.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000p3b6j0z28oik7@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            One effective treatment is <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/treatments\/22838-dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dialectical behavior therapy<\/a>, or DBT, experts said. Sometimes conducted in group settings, the approach is designed to help people overcome black-and-white thinking and develop emotional regulation skills, which are key for healthily managing emotional pain instead of turning to self-destructive habits.<strong\/>\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000q3b6jsc8fv13u@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/04\/01\/health\/social-anxiety-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-benefits-wellness\/index.html\">rewiring of the brain<\/a> to react and respond differently takes time, usually a year or more, Cox said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000r3b6jepsekl40@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            But the results can be impressive. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6584278\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A 2018 study investigated<\/a> the effects of DBT \u2014 versus individual and group supportive therapy \u2014 on rates of suicide attempts and self-harm among 173 adolescents who had attempted suicide at least once before and had three or more criteria for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK430883\/#:~:text=DSM%2D5%2DTR%20Categorical%20Criteria%20for%20BPD&amp;text=Frantic%20efforts%20to%20avoid%20real,image%20or%20sense%20of%20self\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">borderline personality disorder<\/a> (the disorder for which DBT was created).\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000s3b6jrxj6spo5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            After six months, nearly 57% of the DBT participants were able to stop self-harming, compared with 40% of those who had done individual and group supportive therapy. More than 90% of the DBT participants had no suicide attempts after treatment, compared with nearly 79% of the other group.<strong\/>\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000t3b6jq2uogup6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            For around 93% of adults\u00a0\u00a0 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/psychology\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.578230\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a 2021 study<\/a> based in Norway, DBT helped them stop self-harming within the first year. Another study, <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapsychiatry\/fullarticle\/2205835\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published in 2015<\/a>, assessed the effects of various DBT interventions on 99 women who had borderline personality disorder and experienced suicidality \u2014 all participants experienced reductions in frequency of self-harm and found reasons for living after a year of treatment.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000u3b6j6l813mpk@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            If you\u2019re struggling with self-harm, reach out to a mental health professional you can find through your doctor, insurance or crisis helplines, Whitlock said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000v3b6jdnq7vsw1@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Also try identifying your triggers and warning signs then writing them down, she added. \u201cKeeping a mood journal can help (you) recognize patterns and allow you to intervene early with healthy coping skills before urges become overwhelming.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mb85ee00003b6j16bfbmao@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            <strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/13\/health\/how-to-choose-therapist-wellness\/index.html#\">How to choose a therapist who will be the best fit for you<\/a>\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000w3b6jvih7soal@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Some helpful coping techniques include practicing mindfulness, such as by focusing on your five senses to stay present and ride out intense emotions, or deep breathing, Whitlock said. A \u201ccoping skills box\u201d filled with items such as stress balls, coloring books or photos of loved ones can also comfort you.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000x3b6j45nerhks@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            And \u201cwhen feeling the impulse to self-injure, commit to waiting 15 minutes first,\u201d Whitlock said. \u201cUse this time to try alternative coping strategies. Over time the intensity of the urge will decrease.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000y3b6jj38v97p8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Lastly, don\u2019t be too hard on yourself. \u201cRather than aiming for \u2018never again,\u2019\u201d Whitlock said, \u201cfocus on extending the time between incidents. Celebrate progress while being gentle with setbacks.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss000z3b6j4a4pxsis@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            If you\u2019re trying to help a child or adult who\u2019s self-harming, Whitlock doesn\u2019t recommend going through the house and removing every sharp object, she said.<strong\/>\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00103b6ji628lei3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            You should of course use common sense and not let someone have their self-harm toolkit in their bedroom, for example, Whitlock added. But full restriction could create a power struggle between you and the person self-harming \u2014 and that could rob you of the critical opportunity to meet that person\u2019s need for connection and support that addresses the root of self-injurious behavior long term. People who are desperate to self-harm may also do so by any means necessary.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00113b6jn17m3lq0@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Those deeper realities get obscured and potentially squashed when power struggles ensue and a person feels like they\u2019re being punished, Whitlock said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00123b6jqq5ff2sw@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cWe also really highly recommend taking a collaborative approach whenever possible,\u201d added Whitlock, author of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Healing-Self-Injury-Compassionate-Guide-Parents\/dp\/0199391602\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Healing Self-Injury: A Compassionate Guide for Parents and Other Loved Ones<\/a>.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00133b6j4kc8drjm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            It\u2019s important to validate, rather than criticize, your loved one\u2019s strong emotions while also emphasizing that there are safer ways to manage that emotional pain, said Dr. Michele Berk, associate professor of psychiatry and behavior sciences at Stanford University in California, via email.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00143b6jjexztzk1@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Don\u2019t ask \u201cWhy did you do that?\u201d said Australian psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Veness. That question could amplify a person\u2019s shame and make them feel worse, whereas judgment-free questions about their state of mind in general and when they self-harmed are a much better approach.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00153b6jb18e1qhn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Ensuring loved ones, especially children, see you as supportive and accepting can help them tell you if they\u2019re at risk for self-harm, Berk added.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00163b6jf93kieq8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Be honest about your confusion, fear or worry, and get your own professional support so you can work through those feelings instead of channeling them into anger toward your loved one, Whitlock said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00173b6ji11c8ksg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Though the tunnel that is the journey to stop self-harming may be long and challenging, there is light at the end of it.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00183b6jqvz38g5y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Some families have said that while they wouldn\u2019t wish the experience on anyone else, it did help them learn and grow as a family \u201cbecause they had to work through some of the challenges around communication and authentic connection (or) whatever stuff hadn\u2019t been dealt with that may be part of why self-harm showed up in the first place,\u201d Whitlock said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss00193b6j65x0di64@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            That\u2019s true in Megan\u2019s case. The time her mother caught her self-harming was the last time she ever did it, she said. Journaling using a red ink pen, per her therapist\u2019s recommendation, was also critical for her, Megan said \u2014 the emotional release from seeing blood on her arms was replaced by the symbolic release of her pain onto the pages.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss001a3b6jmjrdlrjj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Megan now runs a successful company in Las Vegas, and doubles as a fashion influencer on social media. She doesn\u2019t have urges to self-injure anymore, she said, since she has learned other mechanisms for dealing with pain.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss001b3b6jninfvv3x@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cI often interpret people who self-injure as people who have a high degree of perception and sensitivity in ways that are actually gifts,\u201d Whitlock said. \u201cSo, I always try to let people know \u2026 the urge to feel better and to come back into a sense of stability and centeredness is good.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm2mbayss001c3b6j745t23d6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThey just need additional support to understand what\u2019s happening,\u201d she added, \u201cand then to use the perceptual abilities they have.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/editor-note\/instances\/cm2mbbhj0001m3b6jvobr3lyc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"editor-note\" class=\"editor-note vossi-editor-note inline-placeholder \" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n    <em>Co-writer <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/whalehead.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Matt Villano<\/em><\/a><em> is writer and editor based in California.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/30\/health\/self-harm-causes-treatments-wellness\/index.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor\u2019s Note: This story contains details of self-harm that some readers may find upsetting or triggering. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=120214\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=120214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120214\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=120214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=120214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=120214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}