Atlanta Mental Health Services
Self-Harm Treatment
Self-Harm Treatment
One of the behaviors that results from poor mental health that baffles many is the act of self-harm. The idea of cutting or otherwise injuring yourself feels counter-intuitive and frightening to the loved ones of people who do this. As well, people who self-harm often alarm themselves by having this compulsion, yet they feel helpless to stop. New View Wellness provides proven self-harm treatment to help people stop harming themselves. They learn to heal themselves on the inside and outside.
Our compassionate staff of skilled therapists provides a judgment-free place for people to speak candidly about the issues that drive them to hurt themselves. Our outpatient care sessions help people stop self-harming and learn how to take care of themselves emotionally and physically.
To learn whether New View Wellness is right for you or your loved one, contact us today.
What is Self-Harm?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), self-harm is the act of causing physical damage to a person’s body on purpose. It is a repetitive act intended to help them deal with troubling emotions or situations that feel beyond their control.
Types of self-harm include a person cutting their skin or piercing it with sharp objects. They may also burn themselves with candles, cigarettes, and matches. Other behaviors include hitting themselves or punching things. In some cases, they break their own bones.
People who do this usually take steps to hide the evidence of their behavior. They do this by wearing long sleeves, pants, and other clothing that covers up bruises, scars, cuts, and more.
The act of self-harm typically begins when a person is a teenager or young adult, although it can happen later than that. For some, it’s a temporary behavior, but for others, it becomes a habit they can’t break that goes on for years. Fortunately, quality self-harm treatment is available to help people uncover the compulsion to hurt themselves and move past it.
Why Do People Self-Harm?
People self-harm for different reasons, some of which may be apparent while others prove more mysterious. Many people build up a lot of stress and painful feelings and find that harming themselves offers a sense of relief. When they feel trapped by a scenario or how they feel, the act of self-harming provides them with the sense that they have a way to cope with desperate situations and emotions.
Cutting and other behaviors offer some people a way to put a stop to their anger, despair, fear, and other difficult emotions or symptoms of mental health disorders. While the relief is temporary, they begin to rely on it and eventually find it difficult to stop engaging in the behavior.
A Nine Inch Nails song from the 90s contains the lyric, “I hurt myself today to see if I still feel.” Some people remark that they relate to the idea of just wanting to feel something because they are shut off emotionally. For them, even pain is better than feeling empty and void.
What Is Self-Harm Treatment Like?
Self-harm treatment offers compassionate care from trained experts who understand this often confusing condition. Attending therapy sessions in a judgment-free environment helps the person speak openly about what triggers their behaviors. From there, the therapist partners with them to find ways to replace self-harming with healthy coping skills.
Signs and Symptoms of Self-Harm Behavior
While it’s not always easy to catch on to the fact that a loved one is self-harming, there are signs that happen. Someone in need of self-harm treatment may show some of the following signs and symptoms:
- Cuts or burns on the skin without a plausible explanation
- Skin that appears to have been pierced
- Bruises
- Scars
- Bite marks
- Offering flimsy reasons for signs of physical damage
- Broken bones that don’t necessarily have a realistic story about how it happened
- Wearing clothing that covers up areas of injury, including sweaters or long sleeves when the weather is hot
- Hiding instruments that can be used to cut
- Emotionally unstable
- Previous or current diagnosis of mental health disorders like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder (BPD)
You are not alone. You deserve to get help.
New View Wellness is an industry leader in mental health treatment. Our team of top medical experts specialize in dual diagnosis treatment and are committed to ensuring that each patient is treated as an individual. Call us today, we’re available 24/7.
Effects of Self-Harm
Someone who self-harms risks terrible results that can affect them physically and emotionally. Common side effects of self-harming include:
- Permanent scars
- Risk of infection
- Tissue damage
- Bruises
- Bones that do not heal properly
- Blood loss
- Improper or ineffective first-aid attempts
- Trips to the E.R.
- Death
- Abuse of drugs or alcohol
- Discord with family and friends
How is Self-Harm Treated?
At the heart of self-harm treatment lies the options for different types of therapy. Each kind offers a beneficial way for the individual to open up about what compels them to hurt themselves. These issues can be resolved over time, and the individual will use healthy coping mechanisms to deal with future stressors.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people identify their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors and understand how they relate to their self-harming activities. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) teaches a person to regulate their emotions and be mindful of their situations at all times. They learn to manage their stress in healthy ways.
Prescription medications can also help assuage the triggers to self-harm. Psychiatric medications for disorders like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more will be discussed to determine which ones might benefit the person.
Benefits of Self-Harm Treatment
Someone who attends regular treatment for self-harm will find many benefits. They will learn what past or current stressors, including any traumatic events, cause them to want to hurt themselves.
As they resolve these issues, each person will also learn healthy ways to cope when the urge hits them. The goal is to get them to the point where self-injury is no longer an option. Self-harm treatment also leads to better physical and emotional health.
Meet Our Therapists
Alexis Solomon
Clinical Coordinator, LAPC
LaShonica Giles
Primary Therapist
Monique Rhymer
Primary Therapist
Begin Self-Harm Treatment Today
Do you want to find a quality program for self-harm treatment but don’t know where to begin your search? New View Wellness provides outpatient treatment that helps people overcome their desire to hurt themselves. We have different levels of care to match your needs and your schedule.
Our staff of licensed and experienced therapists have a deep understanding of what causes you to self-harm and how to draw you away from this behavior. We provide several therapy modalities that teach you to address past and current stressors and resolve issues that contribute to the urge to hurt yourself.
Contact us for professional help overcoming the act of self-harming. We can help you find peace of mind by hitting the reset button on your life.
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If you or a loved one needs mental health treatment, call New View Wellness today.
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