Self-Harm Treatment
Find healthier ways to cope with emotional pain. Our treatment helps you understand self-harm, develop alternative strategies, & build a life without self-injury.
Why Self-Harm Occurs
Self-harm is the deliberate injury of one's own body as a way of coping with emotional pain, intense anger, or frustration. It is not typically a suicide attempt, though people who self-harm are at increased risk for suicide. Self-harm provides temporary relief from overwhelming emotions but creates additional problems over time.
People self-harm for different reasons. Some use it to express emotional pain they cannot put into words. Others use it to feel something when emotionally numb or to punish themselves. Some find it provides a sense of control when life feels chaotic. Despite these varied functions, self-harm always signals that healthier coping strategies are needed.
Self-harm often develops in adolescence and can continue into adulthood. It is associated with depression, anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, and personality disorders. However, self-harm can occur in anyone experiencing overwhelming distress.
Common Forms & Warning Signs
Self-harm takes many forms. Cutting is the most recognized, but other methods include burning, hitting, scratching, hair pulling, and interfering with wound healing. Any behavior that deliberately causes injury to one's own body qualifies as self-harm.
Warning signs include unexplained cuts, burns, or bruises, wearing long sleeves or pants even in warm weather, keeping sharp objects readily available, statements of hopelessness or worthlessness, and withdrawal from activities and relationships. If you notice these signs in yourself or someone you care about, professional help is warranted.
Importance of Professional Intervention
Self-harm requires professional treatment. While some people stop on their own, many find the behavior extremely difficult to control without help. Professional treatment addresses the underlying emotional pain, teaches healthier coping strategies, and provides support through the recovery process.
Without treatment, self-harm often escalates. Injuries may become more severe over time, and the behavior may spread to new methods. The shame and secrecy surrounding self-harm can lead to isolation, worsening the emotional distress that drives the behavior.
Treatment Approaches
DBT is the most effective treatment for self-harm. Research consistently shows DBT reduces self-harm frequency and severity. The treatment teaches distress tolerance skills for surviving intense emotions without harming yourself, emotional regulation skills for managing the feelings that lead to self-harm, and mindfulness skills for staying present rather than acting impulsively.
CBT addresses the thoughts and beliefs that contribute to self-harm. You learn to identify cognitive patterns that maintain the behavior and develop more helpful ways of thinking. Behavioral techniques help you avoid triggers and build new responses.
Emotional regulation techniques help you understand and manage the feelings that drive self-harm. You learn to identify emotions, tolerate their intensity, and process them in healthy ways rather than through injury.
Building Healthier Coping Skills
Treatment focuses on replacing self-harm with healthier ways of coping. You develop a toolkit of strategies for managing distress, including grounding techniques, physical activities, creative expression, and social support. These alternatives provide relief without causing harm.
Building healthier coping takes practice. Early in treatment, urges may remain strong, and using new skills feels unfamiliar. With continued practice, healthier strategies become more automatic and effective. Many people eventually find they no longer experience urges to self-harm.
Safety Planning & Recovery
Treatment includes developing a safety plan for moments of crisis. This plan identifies warning signs, coping strategies to try, people to contact for support, and steps to take to stay safe. Having a plan in place before crises occur makes it easier to respond effectively.
Recovery from self-harm is possible. With treatment, most people significantly reduce or stop self-harming. The skills learned in treatment provide ongoing protection against relapse and improve overall emotional wellbeing.
Start Self-Harm Treatment
Southside DBT provides treatment for individuals struggling with self-harm. Our therapists understand this behavior and approach treatment with compassion and skill. Contact us today to schedule an assessment and begin your recovery.