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What is Self-Injury?
Self-injury, also referred to as self-harm, is the practice of harming oneself as a way to relieve built-up pressure of distressing thoughts such as stress and anxiety. Typically, self-harm is seen through the methods of cutting, scratching, punching, and ingestion of chemicals. Although self-harm may give a person temporary relief from the emotional pain they are feeling, the underlying reasons still continue. Soon after self-harming, feelings of guilt and shame may, follow which can lead into the repeat of the cycle.
Those who commit self-harm will often try to hide any resulting signs of injuries or their stressors. Signs of self-harm include:
- Wearing long or baggy clothing out of season
- Unexplained cuts, burns, or bruises
- Inability to handle emotions
- Avoiding relationships
- Poor self-esteem
Ways to Observe Self-Injury Awareness Day
On Self-Injury Awareness Day, it is important to show extra support to those who may be struggling. There are many different ways you can do this.
- Check in with those around you. Self-injury can often be a hidden practice so take care to check up on friends or family members who you think might be struggling and let them know you are there to help.
- Find a nonprofit that supports those struggling with self-harm and donate some of your energy, time, or money to those who may need it.
- Speak to a mental health professional on behalf of yourself or someone you know if you are aware they or yourself need support.
- Wear an orange ribbon or orange clothes to spread awareness and show support for the cause and for those who are struggling.
- Learn more about self-injury to become truly knowledgeable about the subject.
- Attend an event or organize an event near you in support of SIAD
- Open a dialogue about the topic by starting the conversation.
- Use #SelfInjuryAwarenessDay to share your story on social media.
(Driver) (NationalDayCalender)
How can SEL Prevent Self-Harm
SEL, Social-Emotional Learning, helps students foster their own self-awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-regulation, and many more emotional skills that can help a student-prevent falling to self-harm. According to research from the National Institutes of Health self-injury, specifically nonsuicidal self-injury or (NSSI), most often occurs due to problems with emotional regulation.
“First, by a wide margin, NSSI most commonly functions to (temporarily) alleviate overwhelming negative emotion. Intense negative emotions precede NSSI, and the performance of NSSI results in reduced negative emotions as well as feelings of calm and relief. Second, slightly more than one-half of people report that they self-injure as a form of self-directed anger or self-punishment,” (Klonsky et al., 2014).
Such dangerous means of coping with negative emotions can often be the fault of poor self-regulation skills. With SEL, people are taught how to manage their emotions through healthier outlets such as through exercise or communication.
Non-Profits Available
Adolescent Self-Injury Foundation
https://www.adolescentselfinjuryfoundation.com
Fountain House
https://give.fountainhouse.org/give/228908/#!/donation/checkout
Hotlines Available
Crisis Text Line can help you deal with self-injury.
Text a Crisis Counselor at 741741.
https://www.crisistextline.org/topics/self-harm
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Videophone services for American Sign Language are available using a videophone number/device.
Text or call 988.
https://findahelpline.com/organizations/988-suicide-crisis-lifeline
If there is a medical emergency, call 911.
Work Cited:
Driver, Josh. “Ways to Observe Self-Injury Awareness Day.” Selflessly, 1 Mar. 2023, selflessly.io/ways-to-observe-self-injury-awareness-day.
Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies, inee.org/collections/mhpss-and-sel.
Klonsky, E. David, et al. “Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: What We Know, and What We Need to Know.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 59, no. 11, Nov. 2014, pp. 565–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371405901101.
“SELF-INJURY AWARENESS DAY – March 1.” National Calender Day, www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/self-injury-awareness-day-march-1.
UNICEF. “What is self-harm?” UNICEF, www.unicef.org/parenting/mental-health/what-is-self-harm.