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Overcoming Self-Harm

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Self-harm: this is when one hurts themselves as a way of dealing with very difficult feelings.

Some individuals self-harm as a way to:

-express their feelings when it is hard to put into words

-change emotional pain into physical pain

-reduce overwhelming feelings

-punish themselves for their feelings and experiences

-express suicidal feelings and thoughts without taking their own life

Ways individuals self-harm: 

-cutting yourself

-over-eating or under-eating

-biting yourself

-hitting yourself or walls

-pulling your hair

-picking or scratching at your skin

How to overcome self-harm:

  • Learn to recognize triggers: triggers are people, places, situations, sensations, or events that cause specific thoughts or feelings. 
  • Become aware of the urge to self-harm: being able to recognize urges helps an individual take steps towards reducing or stopping self-harm. 

Urges can include:

-strong emotions like sadness or anger

-racing heart or feelings of heaviness

-disconnection from yourself or a loss of sensation

-unhealthy decisions, like working too hard to avoid feelings 

-repetitive thoughts about harming yourself

  • Identify distractions: identify distractions that can help distract the urge to self-harm. 
  • Keep a diary: a diary can help keep track and understand self-harming behaviors. This is useful to keep track of what occurred before, during, and after self-harming. After a period of time, the diary can help spot patterns of self-harming behaviors (Melinda, 2022). 
  • Use coping techniques: to help overcome self-harm, an alternate coping skill needs to take its place. 
  • If self-harm is to express pain and intense emotion: paint, draw, journal, write a poem, listen to music
  • If self-harm is to calm or soothe: take a hot bath, pet an animal, use a warm blanket, massage your neck, hands, and feet, listen to calming music
  • If self-harm is to disconnect or numb pain: call a friend, take a cold shower, hold ice in hand, chew something with a strong taste
  • If self-harm is to release tension or vent anger: exercise, punch a cushion, squeeze a stress ball, rip something up, make noises with instrument, bang pots and pans
  • Seek professional help: trained professionals can help direct towards overcoming cutting or other self-harming habits. 

Client Support Specialist: a CSS can help identify triggers and develop coping skills.

Therapy: a therapist can help explore past or current trauma that may be triggering self-harming behaviors and can assist in helping develop coping skills (Self-harm, 2020). 

Resources

Melinda. (2022, February 7). Cutting and self-harm. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/cutting-and-self-harm.htm

Self-harm 2020 – mind. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.mind.org.uk/media-a/5783/self-harm-2020.pdf

Understanding Bipolar Diagnosis

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What is Bipolar Disorder?

According to National Institute of Mental Health, Bipolar Disorder (formerly known as manic-depressive illness or manic depression), is a mental disorder that causes and unusual shift in mood, with extreme highs and lows.

Types of Bipolar:

  • Bipolar I 

Having at least one manic episode followed by hypomanic or major depressive episode. Manic episodes lasting at least 7 days or needing immediate hospital care 

  • Bipolar II

Having at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic, but no manic episodes

  • Cyclothymic

Having periods of hypomanic symptoms as well as periods of depressive symptoms lasting for at least 2 years (1 year in children and adolescents). However, the symptoms do not meet the diagnostic requirements for a hypomanic episode and a depressive episode.

Types of Episodes:

  • Manic

A manic episode is characterized as at least one week of being extremely high-spirited or irritable most of the days, possessing more energy than usual, and at least 3 of the following: 

  • Decreased need for sleep
  • Fast speech
  • Uncontrollable racing thoughts/quickly changing topics while speaking
  • Distractibility
  • Increased activity 
  • Increased risky behaviors 

Some people in manic episodes report psychotic features, such as false beliefs and/or hallucinations.

  • Hypomanic

Hypomanic is characterized with less severe manic symptoms only 4 days in a row versus a week.

  • Major Depressive

Major depressive is characterized by at least 2 weeks where at least 5 of the following symptoms present:

  • Intense sadness or despair
  • Loss of interest in activities the person once enjoyed
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
  • Fatigue
  • Increased or decreased sleep
  • Increased or decreased appetite
  • Restlessness or slowed speech or movement
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Frequent thoughts of death or suicide

Treatment:

Bipolar Disorder comes with lifelong treatment. Medication is used to balance and stabilize mood. Along with medication, therapy/counseling has proven to be helpful with managing the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.

Resources:

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/bipolar-disorders/what-are-bipolar-disorders

Importance of Sleep for Mental Health

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Sleep is important not only for physical health but mental health as well. Sleep has close links to several mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and several others. The relationship between sleep and mental health is bidirectional, meaning insufficient sleep can promote or worsen mental health conditions just as mental health conditions can cause insufficient sleep (Mental Health and Sleep, 2020).

Sleep is the time for your body and mind to rest and recharge. Sleep is important because this is when your emotional processing takes place. 

Insufficient sleep can cause:

-Emotional Instability

-Effects on Mood

-Increased Sensitivity

-Irritability

-Increased Cortisol Levels = Increased Stress (Sleep and Mental Health, 2022)

Mental health benefits of sleep include:

  • Good sleep can help with mental illnesses

Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression along with several others can cause insomnia. Good sleep can combat insomnia decrease levels of anxiety and depression. 

  • Sleep can improve attention

When you become sleep deprived your reaction time decreases, but having good Uninterrupted sleep will help improve alertness and attention. This is especially important for those who already experience a deficit in attention, such as ADHD.

  •  Sleep can improve memory and learning 

 Sleep is the time your brain stores the information that was learned during the day. Lack of sleep can interrupt this process and cause easier memory loss the day after. For example, lack of sleep can cause one to make silly mistakes like forgetting to grab your lunch or lock your car door (Benefits of Sleep, 2021). 

Resources 

Mental health and sleep. Sleep Foundation. (2020, September 18). Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health

Sleep and mental health: Why our brains need sleep. Primary Care Collaborative. (2022, February 16). Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://www.pcpcc.org/resource/sleep-and-mental-health-why-our-brains-need-sleep

Three surprising mental health benefits of sleep. SuicideLine Victoria. (2021, June 29). Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://suicideline.org.au/mental-health/three-surprising-mental-health-benefits-of-sleep/

Statistics on Developmental Disabilities

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Developmental Disabilities are severe and long-term problems. These disabilities can range from mental disability to physical disability or both. 

Physical disabilities include: blindness, hearing loss, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, etc. 

Mental disabilities include: anxiety disorders, depressive disorder, personality disorders, etc.

Developmental disabilities can also present both physical and mental disabilities, such as, down syndrome (U.S. National Library, 2021)

  • Approximately 15% of children age 3-17, or 1 in 6 children, in the U.S. has some type of developmental disability
  • Many children and adults have more
    than one type of intellectual or developmental disability.
    Each likely to result in a variety of challenges requiring different types of care and services
  • Recent estimates show there are approximately 4.92 million individuals in the U.S. living with an intellectual disability, which is about 17% of the U.S. population
  • Children from families with low income have higher prevalence of intellectual/developmental disabilities
  • People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been shown to have poorer health and poorer access to health care
  • Males have been shown to have twice the prevalence of any developmental disability than females
  • It is estimated that 30-35% of all
    people with intellectual or developmental disabilities also have a psychiatric disorder (statistics, 2016)

Resources

Statistics. The Achievable Foundation. (2016, March 21). Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://achievable.org/developmental-disabilities/statistics/

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021, November 9). Developmental disabilities. MedlinePlus. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/developmentaldisabilities.html

Suicide Prevention

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Voices of Georgia’s Chilren report the number of children who visited the emergency room for reasons related to suicide doubled between 2008-2018. Voices of Georgia’s Children also report 77,878 students from sixth grade to twelfth grade considered committing suicide in 2019.61,978 students reported harming themselves. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death behind unintentional injury for children ages 10-17 in Georgia. 

What leads to suicide?

There is no single cause of suicide. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused many to feel isolated and alone. Suicide may be caused by untreated mental health disorders, anxiety, traumatic events, and substance use.Suicide may also be caused by feelings of hopelessness and despair. Other risk factors include previous history of suicide attempts, environment, bullying, stressful life events, access to lethal means such as firearms or drugs, and sensationalized accounts of suicide.

Warning Signs

Suicide warning signs  include a change behavior, giving away items, sudden social engagement, sudden isolation, constant talk about committing suicide, and increased use substances such as drugs or alcohol. Other warning signs include a change in mood. This may appear as depression, irritability, agitation, loss of interest, anger, humiliation and shame. 

How can you help?

Talking with someone who is considering suicide is not easy. Asking about suicidal thoughts or feelings won’t push someone into doing something self-destructive. In fact, offering an opportunity to talk about feelings may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings.You can ask direct questions such as: “are you thinking about ending your life”, or “do you have access to lethal weapons or substances.” It is important to use supportive language such as “how can I help you” instead of making the person feel ashamed for having those feelings. You can provide the Suicide Hotline number 1-800-273-8255 or dial 911 in an emergency situation. Please don’t try to handle the situation alone, reach out to a professional individual that can provide adequate help and ensure the safety of the individual.

Source: Georgia Voices of Children

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