As temperatures change and warm sunlight begins to beam throughout the sky, people around the world prepare to celebrate various holidays including International Women’s Month and St. Patrick’s Day, while one initiative goes unnoticed.
March serves as Self-Harm Awareness Month, established by LifeSIGNS in 1999. The movement was designed to make hard topics easier to discuss, highlighting the importance of supporting those who struggle silently.
Statistics
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is most prevalent in teens and young adults, with most beginning around the age of 13. An estimated 6% of adults report a history of NSSI, while men represent 35% of all self-injury cases. Surveys distributed across over 40 countries revealed that 17% of people will self-harm during their lifetime, but researchers believe the true percentage is much higher and concealed because of the circulating mental health stigma. Only 50% of people who self-harm will seek help, with the majority not seeking professional help, but confiding in friends and family.
Why
Though there are various reasons behind NSSI, the most common factor is emotional distress and a lacking awareness of healthy coping techniques. Turning to self-harm provides short relief and numbness, allowing one to forget the present emotional pain. This leads to a cycle of guilt and addiction.
Signs
Indicators that someone is self-harming are not always recognizable. Evidence such as increased substance abuse, unexplained marring of the skin and symptoms of depression are among the more obvious signs, but it is equally as important to identify the less obvious ones: baggy clothing, social isolation and withdrawal from everyday life.
Alternatives
Many derive satisfaction from the physical sensations of self-harming, but there are less-damaging alternatives that give the same feeling. Some survivors of self-harm have various recovery methods, such as snapping a rubber band against one’s wrist or rubbing ice on the usual area of harm. Others require exerting force in order to succeed in distracting themselves. This can be imitated by ripping paper, popping balloons or throwing a ball.
A viral movement, known as the ice bucket challenge was started by the USC MIND Club. The challenge entails dumping ice water on one’s head fully clothed, which resets the nervous system through the shock and discomfort of the cold.
More discreet coping mechanisms include eating something spicy or sour, writing names of loved ones in the area of harm or running cold water over wrist pressure points. These tactics are easier to do when in public spaces.
Nourish to Flourish
Healing itself is never linear, but recognizing an issue is the first step to recovery. Supporting someone who struggles with self-harm is a delicate task that requires patience. The best thing that friends and family can do is offer to listen and comfort without judgement. Offering a distraction from heavy tasks and reminding someone to feel their feelings are sturdy ways to love someone throughout their struggles.
Stop the Stigma
Despite what society says, trauma is valid with or without scars. One person’s battle is not “less” important or “worse” than someone else’s. Relapse does not make someone “impure” or doomed to never recover. One addiction is not “better” than another. Sparking conversations that invite healing and foster belonging make discussing mental health regularly easier.
