AboutChris Harris Expertise I can help with referral questions regarding suicide prevention and treatment as well as problems finding support, speaking with loved ones about suicide, and accessing needed services. I do not give advice regarding medications or endorse any particular service group or organization.
Experience Out patient therapist, emergency room social worker, and drug and alcohol counselor
Education/Credentials masters degree in social work, State social work license
Expert: Chris Harris Date: 3/19/2008 Subject: Risk?
Question I'm fifteen.
I dont think I'm so far as a suicide or even major self harm risk. However, I have noticed a behavior pattern as of late. If I get extremely upset or pissed about something, I stratch at myself. The first time was last april after an argument with my mother. I scratched at my forearm for most of the night, eventually rubbing of several layers of skin and leaving myself with a sore infected pair of sores. I bandaged them up and said I'd burned myself. The scars are faded, but still there. Ive caught myself rubbing my nail against my wrist after failing tests. I chew holes in my lips, just biting the sore spot over and over until i have a scar. And then today, after a big fight with my boyfriend of 10 months, I noticed myself rubbing my pen against the base of my thumb. But i kept doing it. It was a sharp ballpoint with free-flow ink, so needless to say I've just come back from layering on a lot of sticky plasters over a long blue line on my thumb. I'm worried the ink wont wash out, as i had a pin prick that got blue in it once, and it stayed blue for a long time.
The odd thing is, even though i do this when I get stressed mostly, sometimes it when im bored. Ill see how hard I can stab a pin in . Ill see if I can cut myself witht he steak knife. I'll rub off a line of skin with a corkscrew. Its not like I've gone numb and im doing to to feel something. It still hurts. But I do it anyway.
Is this a precursor to something more severe?
Answer Nay,
Sorry for the late response but this question was in the pool and not directed toward me in particular.
The self injurious behavior (SIB) you describe leads me to believe you have something going on internally which needs help getting out. It could be anxiety, anger, depression or a number of things. People hurt themselves for many different reasons. Many times people are trying to deal with painful or difficult emotions or sometimes they don’t like themselves in some way. It’s also a way to relive tension, a release of sorts. There is also some research out there suggesting problems with serotonin in the brain’s chemistry lead to a type of depression turned inward which leads to SIB or the person gets a rush from the endorphins released by the pain sensation. I do not know if any of these applies to you and I suspect, by your question, neither do you.
Is this a precursor to something more severe? Yes. Without treatment and insight into the motives behind your SIB, your ability to cope with stressors will be impaired. It does not mean you will become suicidal, just that the way your cope with things in life is by hurting yourself. You have moved from coping with family stress to coping with boredom by hurting yourself. This is where therapy can be helpful. I encourage you to speak with your parents or a counselor at school about this and seek treatment. SIB is more common than you might think and there are a lot of people doing the same thing to try to cope with things in their lives. If I can answer any other questions or you have a follow up question, please drop me a note.
Good luck,
Chris
