March 2021 Newsletter | In Honor of Self-Harm Awareness Month
March is Self-Harm Awareness Month. As a practice, we at City Center Psychotherapy recognize that self-harm behaviors are frequently misunderstood and people who engage in them feel silenced, shamed and setback from getting help.
Let’s start with talking about what doesn’t get talked about enough - the reasons people self-harm – and correct misunderstandings, so that you, if you engage in self-harm behaviors, can get on the path to getting the support and help you deserve.
Self-harm occurs to cope with situations or feelings that feel “unmanageable.” It can be used to cope with difficult, intense emotions or other mental health symptoms, to relieve stress or pressure, to combat emotional numbness, to exercise control in face of seemingly out-of-control situations, to re-enact trauma as an attempt to resolve it or to protect others from perceived emotional pain.
Like some other coping behaviors, it is ultimately unhelpful, offering temporary relief and long-term negative consequences. It can become addictive, resulting in escalating self-injury. It can also make the psychological conditions that caused it, in the first place, to worsen. For example: a person who turns to it because they are struggling to cope with loneliness and depression can isolate themselves further, hiding signs of self-harm from loved ones.
There are a number of therapeutic interventions that can help. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) have been proven to be highly effective for eliminating self-harm behaviors. So, if you engage in self-harm behaviors, have hope and speak openly to a mental health professional to develop a treatment plan that works for you.
If you need to speak to someone immediately, consider the below crisis resource:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline
Call: 800-950-NAMI (6264)
Text: “NAMI” to 741741