Myths & Misconceptions of self harm
Hi reader,
I'm glad you've stumbled across this post, especially if you're someone who doesn't self harm because unfortunately it's a very complex illness that is hard to understand unless you've been through it and had to reason to yourself and others your motive behind it. I don't think it's anyone's fault there's so many myths & misconceptions, in fact its not even surprising. Self harm is an odd thing but it's a very common thing, it's reported that about 1 in 10 young people will self harm at some point in their adolescent years, this is a shocking number yet its still so misunderstood and continues to be silenced. I understand that there are already many posts like this out their on the internet but the more people that talk about it and the more view points we hear the more comfortable and less surprised people will be when the topic comes up.
Self Harming is attention-seeking
This is probably one of the most common myths. It's understandable that someone would think this, cuts are a very visible thing on your body, as are burn scars and bruises. The truth is that most young people will go to extreme lengths to keep their self harm hidden, this can include applying makeup to the wound, spending countless amounts of money on creams, wearing jumpers and jeans in the summer or as far as simply refusing to see people in fear of them noticing their scars.
Its a teenage thing that you will grow out of
Again this is a very common myth. Usually adults wont get help or support when they are suffering through self harm and if people happen to see the scars they're not questioned as much, I think one of the reasons for this is that people assume because they're an adult they can get help themselves but often this isn't the case, and many adults continue to suffer in silence. It's true that some adolescents may stop self harming as they get older but this is unlikely to happen without some kind of support be this just from parents or through therapy. The individual will need to learn new coping mechanisms before they can move on.
People who self harm are suicidal
Although its very possible for this to be true for some it is not the case in the majority of self harmers. Many people claim that self harming is one of the things keeping them alive, it's a quick but non permanent release of all their emotions and pain, a coping mechanism to stay alive - not die. Of course there are links between people who commit suicide and people who self harm however far more people self harm and go on to recover then people who end up taking their own life.
Self harm is a sign of severe mental illness
The most common illness people tend to associate with self harm is BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder.) BPD is a complex illness that doctors do not yet fully understand but as of yet there has been no connection between BPD sufferers being at higher risk of self harm then those suffering from any other mental illness. Its important to remember that those that self harm don't necessarily have a mental illness and those that have a mental illness don't necessarily self harm.
People who self harm could stop if they wanted to
Its true that it's possible to stop self harming by yourself but it takes a lot of time, a lot of willpower and a lot of education. Its also important to identify and see a doctor just to make sure there is no underlying medical or psychiatric condition. People struggle to stop self harming because of the addictiveness, the same chemical released when you become addicted to a drug is released when you self harm. Sufferers will become addicted to the temporary relief and temporary high they get whilst harming themselves (especially cutting.) It should also be noted that self harming is a coping mechanism so it is near impossible to stop without having another one in place.
The bigger the wound - The bigger the problem
Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. This myth is so wrong and can be so harmful. The pain inflicted on the outside is in no way a reflection of the pain the sufferer feels on the inside so should definitely not be treated as if it is. A smaller wound does not equal a smaller problem and visa versa, in fact someone could be in the most internal pain imaginable and still not self harm or someone could be upset over something as simple as a band splitting up and cut extremely deep as a result of this. Please don't take someone as serious as their self harm is, let them explain their problem to you without any prior judgement of how severe their issues are.
Self harm is when you cut yourself
Its certainly true that cutting yourself is a form of self harm but it is definitely not the only form of self harm. Other common types of self harm to look out for include, burning oneself, scratching their skin, punching themselves or hard objects in order to inflict breaks or bruising, pulling at their hair (head hair, eyelashes, eyebrows) or something as drastic as overdosing. There are many subtle ways someone can self harm and some of these are very hard to spot (such as picking at the skin around their nails until they bleed.) If you're worried someone is engaging in a self harming behaviour let them know they can confide in you.
People only self harm to fit in or be 'cool'
This is a very common first response from parents who hear their school age child is self harming. Some parents may believe it is simply a ridiculous trend that will die out soon. This is a dangerous and inaccurate way of thinking. Although this could be true in extreme and rare cases it is not the case for the majority. Reasons behind self harming can be extremely complex and the individual will likely need therapy to get to the bottom of their issues and to overcome them. You should never assume the reason behind someone's decision to self harm - especially not without first asking them
Unfortunately this is only a very small list of the many myths and misconceptions of self harm but I hope it gave you somewhat of a greater understanding towards the difficult subject. I'm going to leave this article with the most important part; Where you or a loved one can get support if self harming is becoming an issue. Thank you for reading, be sure to take a look at some of my other posts.
Useful websites to get help with self harming:
www.selfharm.co.uk
www.nshn.co.uk
www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk
www.recoveryourlife.com
www.mind.org.uk
www.harmless.org.uk
www.childline.org.uk
www.youngminds.org.uk
www.nightline.ac.uk
www.themix.org.uk
www.samaritans.org.uk
DISCLAIMER: Information above is not fact checked, I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as if they were from a professional. All information provided is either something I have been told by a doctor, physiatrist or counsellor and was relevant to my own experience at the time (but may not be useful/ relevant for your own unique experience) or was something I noticed first hand from my own journey or someone noticed first hand and told me about their journey with similar issues. No information provided should be taken in replace of seeing a doctor.
Remember to drop your opinions on the matter in the comments below and follow me in order to stay updated with new posts so we can continue to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness together!! Share to raise awareness. <3
Stay strong, Stay positive, Stay beautiful - Stay you.
