How To Manage Children Who Self-Harm

By: Alexia Cabreras, MS, LPC Associate, NCC

Supervised by: Melissa Barton, MA, LPC-S, LCDC, CCTP

Parents…I know this isn't an easy topic to talk about, but it's one that's important to have. Self-harm is the act of hurting your own body by inflicting pain or damage towards self. As a parent, I can imagine it can be confusing to wrap your head around why would your child willingly hurt themselves, the reality is, inflicting pain is a means to cope at times. 

Unfortunately, the society we live in has far too often created this assumption that these behaviors are to “get attention.”Many times, there's a cry for help when someone can't vocalize the pain they're experiencing. The easiest thing to turn towards is something visible to the outside world. My goal throughout this blog is to be a support system to all you parents who have a loved one who struggle with self-harm, but also to normalize behavior that often isn't understood. Also, I want to give you the tools to support your loved one.

How To Determine If Someone Is Engaging In Self-harm? 

Oftentimes there are many warning signs that someone may be engaging in self-harm. Sometimes signs can be very obvious such as new marks on someone's body, social withdrawal, changes in mood, avoidance, and any odd behavior you may not be familiar with.

At times, you can see the scars, their visible cuts, burns, or scratches on the surface of the skin. Though these are the most common forms of self-harm, they are not the only ones. Other times, it may not be very obvious. Focus on analyzing behavior that does not align. For example, is your child wearing long sleeves or sweaters during the summer time? Are they often uncomfortable when being asked about it? These are all warning signs to look out for. 

Other Forms of Self-harm 

We know self-harm can look different for everyone, we also know the “common” forms of self injury, but what many don't realize is that self-harm can be any way of inflicting danger to one's body. Self-harm does not always have to result in bleeding or scars, self-harm for individuals can be binging or purging, having unprotected sex with strangers, hair pulling, as well as, alcohol or pill intake. Parents, if this sounds like something your loved one may be engaging in, I strongly encourage having a supportive conversation and working as a team to seek the appropriate help necessary. 

How To Support Your Loved One That Engages In Self-harm

If your loved one is struggling or you suspect that they are, talk to them. It's important to effectively communicate and advocate for their needs to ensure their safety within their environment and within themselves. Avoid judgment, as humans, it can be very easy to judge someone for their behavior, understand that if this is hard for you, it's likely twice as hard for them.  Help your loved ones seek therapy, whether individual or a group, it is one of the most common and effective resources to manage self-harm. Seek a psychiatrist, finding the right medication to enhance their mental health can improve their overall coping. Be open minded that this may not stop overnight, but it does get better and can often be noticed through less frequent visible injuries. 

Begin Therapy in Katy, TX!

If you would like to help your loved one with self-harm, one of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide mental health services to all ages. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:

• Contact our office to set up an appointment or to learn more information
• Meet with one of our knowledgeable therapists
• Find ways to thrive through therapy today!

Other Therapy Services We Offer: 

Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men's issues, women's issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!