Using Technology & Counseling To Help Those That Self-Injure Joel Sperling Coun 511

Introduction  This research paper will combine technology and counseling to help counselor’s better treat people who self- injure themselves.  Self-Injury is the hot new teen disorder.  Five websites that look at and offer advice on Self-injury.  2 million people self-injure themselves each year.

Websites included  Self-Injury: Types, Causes & Treatment  Common Reasons Why People cut themselves  Self-Injury in Adolescents: Facts for Families Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Families Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Familieshttp://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Self- Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Familieshttp://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Self- Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Families  Support groups for Self-Injured  Myths about Self-Injury

Drawing of happy thoughts to replace self-injurious behavior

Self-Injury: Types, Causes & Treatment  Cutting  Burning (or “branding” with hot objects)  Picking at skin or re-opening wounds  Hair-pulling (trichotillomania)  Hitting (with hammer or other object)  Bone-breaking  Head-banging (more often seen in autistic, severely retarded or psychotic people) 

Self-Injury: Types, Causes & Treatment  Opening site on Self-Injury, great for the new counselor looking to find out information on self-injury.  Links to other disorders.  User friendly, easy to navigate.

Common Reasons Why People cut themselves  Self-injury more commonly occurs in adolescent females.  Many self-injurers have a history of physical, emotional or sexual abuse.  Many self-injurers have co-existing problems of substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder (or compulsive alone), or eating disorders.  Self-injuring individuals were often raised in families that discouraged expression of anger, and tend to lack skills to express their emotions.  Self-injurers often lack a good social support network.

Common Reasons Why People cut themselves  They find it soothing  A way of communicating what they can't say with words  An attempt to get people to react to their actions

Self-Injury in Adolescents: Facts for Families  Accept reality and find ways to make the present moment more tolerable.  Identify feelings and talk them out rather than acting on them.  distract themselves from feelings of self-harm (for example, counting to ten, waiting 15 minutes, saying "NO!" or "STOP!," practicing breathing exercises, journaling, drawing, thinking about positive images, using ice and rubber bands)  Stop, think, and evaluate the pros and cons of self-injury.  Soothe them in a positive, non-injurious, way.  Practice positive stress management.  Develop better social skills.  Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Families Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Families Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Families

Self-Injury in Adolescents: Facts for Families  Reputable web site.  Good information  User friendly  Many subjects.  Uses FAQ to gain knowledge.

Support groups for Self-Injured Q. What are some of the things you know have been done by self- injurers when physical abuse no longer seems to comfort them? Q. What are some of the things you know have been done by self- injurers when physical abuse no longer seems to comfort them? A. Self-injury is a very unhealthy and addictive coping skill. When a person limits themselves to one and only one coping skill they will find it gets old and eventually stops having the same affect. This is like the argument of "soft" drugs leading to "harder" drugs or more use of the "soft" drug. Self-injurers must recognize the addictive nature and possible fatal consequences of continuing to use it as a coping skill. We must abstain altogether from self-injury and recognize that there are many healthy coping skills we can learn instead of relying on "old faithful". We encourage you to look at the coping skills page and add a number of healthy alternatives to self- injury as it sounds like your coping skill is no longer working. Please don't give up. Many of us have been where you are now. A. Self-injury is a very unhealthy and addictive coping skill. When a person limits themselves to one and only one coping skill they will find it gets old and eventually stops having the same affect. This is like the argument of "soft" drugs leading to "harder" drugs or more use of the "soft" drug. Self-injurers must recognize the addictive nature and possible fatal consequences of continuing to use it as a coping skill. We must abstain altogether from self-injury and recognize that there are many healthy coping skills we can learn instead of relying on "old faithful". We encourage you to look at the coping skills page and add a number of healthy alternatives to self- injury as it sounds like your coping skill is no longer working. Please don't give up. Many of us have been where you are now.

Support groups for Self-Injured Q. I've used self-injury in the past and have become so stressed lately that I'm considering using it again. What do I do given the fact that to reach out for help means disclosure for me? A. It's hard not to remember how affective self-injury can be when it's served its purpose in the past. However, please recognize that you have used alternatives to self- injury to stay safe for as long as your last self-injurious time. Rely on those now, engage new healthy coping skills and seek out professional help. If disclosure of "self-injury" is the main issue, perhaps verbalizing the need to "identify my stress and learn healthy coping skills" will work.

Myths about Self-Injury  MYTH: Self-injury is a failed suicide attempt  MYTH: Self-injury is “attention seeking” behavior.  MYTH: Self-injury is untreatable. It’s hopeless.  MYTH: It’s Borderline Personality Disorder or they’re “Borderline”. MYTH: It’s my mother’s/father’s/friend’s fault. They made me do it.

Myths about Self-Injury The answer to all these myths is: FALSE

Conclusion These sites when combined into one quick people allow counselors access to information as to who are most likely to self-injure themselves. Additionally, what are the warning signs to look for? Information so parents can work with counselors to help the adolescents who harms themselves. Some questions that should be asked of adolescents who harm themselves. Finally wrapping up the paper with some myths about those people who self injure and a list of ways to help them along with support numbers for outside referral, if needed.

CLOSING Audio Recording Audio Recording

Web Resources  Self-Injury: Types, Causes & Treatment  Common Reasons Why People cut themselves  Self-Injury in Adolescents: Facts for Families Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Families Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Familieshttp://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Self- Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Familieshttp://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Self- Injury+in+Adolescents&section=Facts+for+Families  Support groups for Self-Injured  Myths about Self-Injury  Research Paper Research Paper Research Paper  Internet Address Book Internet Address Book Internet Address Book