(Page 3 of 8)

Treatments

Self injury is not treated as a separate syndrome, and so there are few specific ways of reducing self injury. Treatments tend to focus on the whole person, and on the underlying causes of stress and anxiety.

Diagnosed mental disorders will be treated in traditional ways, and a reduction in self injury is often expected, perhaps without real investigation.

Counselling and Talking Therapies

Developing a relationship with a Counsellor can be of enormous benefit to a person with feelings of low self worth.

There are many Counsellors and care establishments that impose a "Don't Injure" mandate upon their clients, if they are to receive treatment. This is counter productive, and illogical. One can not remove a coping mechanism without replace it with something more adaptive.

Psycho-Dynamic Therapy
The original psychotherapy based around Sigmund Freud's ideas about the Ego, Id, and Super Ego. PDT focuses on the history of the person, and relates present feelings to past experiences. Sexual and Familial experiences are heavily investigated. PDT is analytical, introspective, and directive.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
(Also Rational Emotional Behavioural Therapy) The Counsellor aims to lead the client into changing their behaviour, therapy consists of discussing recent behaviors that trouble the client. CBT aims to allow the client to see the many choices they have, and to empower the client with new ways of behaving. CBT is analytical, observational and directive.

Person Centred Therapy
The third approach is based around Carl Rogers' work, and assumes that the client is the best person to solve their own problems. PCT gives a person the space, and the permission to explore their own feelings. Being accepted as a valid and important human being can be a powerful experience for a person who has been chronically invalidated. PCT is perception based, introspective and non-directive.

Drug Therapies

Self injury is not treated by drugs per se, however, if a diagnosis of a recognised mental disorder is made, drugs may be prescribed.

Modern drugs may treat depression, anxiety and compulsive behaviours all at once.

Group Therapy, Self Help and Empowermen

It would be unwise to neglect what people may do for themselves.

Therapy does not have to finish at the end of an hour's counselling, or after 6 months of medication. Many self injurers have concerns around the theme of control, and it is important to allow and encourage self injurers to seek their own relief, and to learn more about their feelings and behaviours.

Who To Turn To

It's not easy to decide who to go to once a distressed person decides to seek help and support. If you are the first person that a self injurer has turned to, you may wish to consider accompanying them to their Doctors' clinic, or to a 'Crisis Clinic' within your local hospitals Mental Health Unit.

If you are considering seeking help and support for self injury yourself, you may find that the company you work for offers an onsite Counsellor, or help line. Speak to your line manager or HR department, you don't have to mention self injury, your request will be treated in confidence without deep questioning.

If at school, college or university, you may find that there is a campus counsellor, or Guidance Counsellor. It is their job to help you, and to 'sign-post' you to other resources available to you.

Self Help

You may find the following ideas useful when talking to a person who self injures. Encouraging a person to understand their use of self injury can be empowering. Each person who turns to self injury should be aware that they have choices, and sometimes they choose to harm themselves, and other times they may choose other activities. A non-judgmental approach to choices can inspire a person to feel responsible for the choices they make.

How You Can Help Yourself

1. Write a list of things that you have achieved or are proud of. This can include anything from good exam / subject grades to how you might have handled personal issues such as difficulties with relationships. Aim to write down at least ten - fifteen items. Keep this list close to hand and read it when you are feeling low or you have the desire to hurt yourself. This can help you to remember you are a special person who should care for yourself.

2. Set yourself achievable goals. You may wish to set a goal to reduce the frequency or the harm of self injury, or it may be to find ways to improve your self esteem. Write your goals down.

3. Keep an Emotional Diary, write out all your feelings and experiences. If you find that this causes you to dwell on things in an overly negative way, then try an alternative option.

4. Look after yourself, a healthy body promotes a healthy mind.

5. Consider interacting with people more. You can find groups on the Internet that are interested in similar hobbies, or your local library has information on local groups, activities and societies.

6. Treat yourself by doing something that you really enjoy, create time for you and your interests.

7. Many people find that regular exercise in moderation can be beneficial.

8. Use the 15 Minute Rule or find other coping strategies to use.

Your feelings are valid and should be respected, even when you are feeling low. No one expects you to be enthusiastic and perky at all times, it is important to respect your limits and your energy reserves.

The 15 Minute Rule

When the urge to self injure comes upon you, check the time, and tell yourself that you have felt the urge, but you are going to choose to hold off on any self harming behaviour for 15 minutes; if after this period of 15 minutes, you still feel like self injuring, then you can.

For the duration of this 15 minute 'waiting period' try and keep yourself occupied, go for a walk, flick through the TV without watching anything, or write down the cause of your distress, write a letter to yourself about your feelings.

After 15 minutes, you can check how you feel, and how you feel about the urge. You could choose to hurt yourself now, or you could choose to wait another 15 minutes. You can keep playing this 15 minute game, and maybe the urge will pass, maybe not, but it's your choice at every 15 minute step. If you get through the urge and manage not to hurt yourself, perhaps you can tell someone about your achievement.

Congratulate yourself, you made it!

If you are advising someone to try a 'harm reduction technique' such as the '15 Minute Rule', you should be aware that no technique is right for everyone. Such techniques may be useful for a period of time, but should not be considered a cure or full replacement.

Self injury is a complex syndrome, techniques can only work so far.

Tags: Self-Injury

About the Author

www.lifesigns.org.uk
LifeSIGNS (Self Injury Guidance & Network Support) is an Unincorporated Voluntary Organisation. That means that we are an organisation, run by directors who volunteer their time, and are responsible for their own individual actions.