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Teen Self Harm Addiction Treatment

Our Programs & Activities Will Guide Your Teen Through Rehab

Teen Self Harm Addiction Treatment

No one is immune to anxiety or stress. Moreover, for some teenagers, it can be a struggle to find the appropriate coping method for their daily ups and downs. This is what leads to teen self harm addiction as a way to express pain that cannot be put into words. Self-harm — deliberately hurting oneself on purpose — indicates a lack of coping skills, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In fact, the pain teens inflict on themselves can be seen as a form of release. It is fleeting, however, and the short-term relief of self-harm can lead to more excessive, dangerous, and possibly fatal actions.

What Are The Signs Of Self-Harm?

Although the wounds and scars left behind by self-harm are evident, teens make attempts to hide them from their parents. Specifically, by wearing long sleeves or pants. Any unexplained injuries or evidence of bloodstains on clothing may indicate a teen self harm addiction.

These actions usually occur when a person is alone, so a parent should try to observe patterns of isolation or withdrawal in their teenager. In many cases, sharp objects such as knives and razor blades are used to commit acts of self-harm. While a parent may be hesitant to invade their teen’s privacy, it may be necessary to go through their personal belongings and look for these items if self-harm is suspected.

Exceptional, accessible care for teens and their families.

Why Would My Teen Commit Self-Harm?

A person will commit self-harm when they need an emotional release. Teenagers who choose to hurt themselves may be overwhelmed by different emotions — fear, anxiety, anger, panic, guilt, or confusion. Whether they choose to hit themselves, cut themselves, burn themselves, or harm themselves in another way is an indication that they don’t know how to deal with their internal pain. Instead of going to someone for help, they have chosen to act out their aggressions on themselves with the hope that whatever is ailing them will go away. Left unchecked and untreated, this can become a habit.

Self-harm routinely begins in the early teen years, according to the Mayo Clinic, when teens face the anxieties of peer pressure and often come into conflict with their parents and other adults.

What Are Some Self-Harm methods?

There are many different forms of self-harm. While cutting is the most well-known, other methods include:

  • Burning (using lit cigarettes, matches, or other hot objects)
  • Pulling out hair
  • Scratching
  • Picking at wounds that have yet to heal
  • Carving words or symbols into the skin
  • Hitting

A person may use more than one method of self-harm, and the most frequent targets are the arms, legs, and front of the torso. To learn more about our teen treatment programs, contact Destinations for Teens today at 877.466.0620.