Finding effective coping mechanisms plays an important role in managing your mental health. But some are more positive than others. If you’re trying to feel more in control or numb from emotion, then it’s possible that you engage in self-harming as a coping mechanism. It may also be a way to feel relief from negative emotions or self-punishment.
Self-harm refers to intentionally hurting oneself. Self-harm may involve using distressing behaviors to cope with emotional pain, including cutting, burning or repeatedly hitting your skin, just to name a few. While it’s not a suicide attempt, self-harm is often a symptom of mental health conditions that require treatment. It can be seen in people with depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mood disorders.
By knowing what to expect from treatment for self-harm, you can fully engage in it. You’ll be able to work toward becoming the best version of yourself.
If you’re at risk to yourself, or experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Opening up to a professional
In every mental health journey, talking to a professional is one of the major steps. Once you decide to seek treatment for your self-harm, booking an appointment with a therapist should be the first course of action.
If you’ve talked to your doctor about your self-harm, they’ll treat your injuries. This reduces the risk of infection or further physical health issues.
Talking to a therapist about your self-harm can help you:
- Learn about the mental health conditions contributing to self-harm behavior
- Develop more positive coping mechanisms
- Pinpoint the triggers for self-harm urges
Depending on the severity of your self-harm and mental health condition symptoms, they may refer you to higher levels of care, such as a Residential Treatment Center, Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or Partial-Hospitalization Program (PHP). Therapists use a variety of evidence-based practices to treat self-harm, depending on your needs.
Using evidence-based practices
Once you start seeing a therapist, they’ll figure out which evidence-based therapy approaches will be the most effective for reducing your self-harm. Here are a few practices often used to help people with self-harm:
Cognitive behavioral therapy
CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on the connection between your thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Your therapist can guide you through strategies that can help you identify and adjust the unhelpful thought patterns that may contribute to self-harm. CBT strategies may include:
- Challenging negative thoughts
- Journaling
- Grounding techniques
Dialectical behavior therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a branch of CBT that focuses on regulating intense negative emotions that may lead to self-harm. The goal of DBT is to help you manage distress and reduce unhelpful or self-destructive behaviors through effective coping mechanisms. It also helps you learn to communicate your needs and boundaries with others.
Mindfulness
Stress management is particularly important for individuals who struggle with self-harm. It’s important for such individuals to learn how to reduce the impact of challenges on their mental and emotional well-being. An effective therapeutic approach to stress management is through mindfulness. It’s the practice of being focused on the present moment without judgment. It increases emotional awareness and helps you to observe self-harm urges without engaging in them.
A therapist can teach you techniques like mindful breathing and mindful walking.
Possible medication for underlying conditions
If you’re diagnosed with a condition that’s linked to your self-harm, such as generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder, you may be prescribed medication by your general practitioner or a referred psychiatrist.
There aren’t medications that are aimed toward helping reduce self-harm. However, medications that treat these underlying conditions can help reduce symptoms like anxiety or hopelessness that contribute to self-harm.
Guidelight Health can provide treatment for self-harm
Deciding to seek treatment for self-harm is something to be proud of. It may also reduce the risk of self-harm escalating into suicidal ideation. Untreated self-harm can have long-term physical consequences, such as scarring and nerve damage.
Going to outpatient therapy is often the first course of action for self-harm treatment. However, if you’re experiencing significant mental distress that’s worsening the frequency or severity of your self-harm, then your doctors may refer you to an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or Partial-Hospitalization Program (PHP), like the ones we offer at Guidelight.
Our programs can provide intensive treatment for people who are experiencing mental health conditions that contribute to self-harm behavior urges. With group and individual therapy, you’ll receive the specialized support you need to improve your mental, emotional and behavioral health. PHP also involves medication management.
Everyone has a seat at Guidelight. Contact our team online or call us today for more information about treatment for self-harm. You can also schedule an initial evaluation.