Hello. my niece is less than 14 years old, and recently she has self-mutilated … At first she hurt herself with a pin in her thigh last Thursday it was a razor blade … Exactly seven cuts on her thigh and many more on her hand … This fact is argued by the lack of noticing by her parents. I promise never to do it again … What can we as a family do? Should we believe it was a one-off prank?
You should have limited trust in your child in this situation. What the child says does not have to be true, the reason for self-harm may be completely different.
What causes self-harm?
Self-harm can be a sign of depression, mental disorders, but it can also be a call for help and a desire for attention.
How to behave?
This problem should not be underestimated. Self-mutilation is also addictive, as are other psychoactive drugs. I think that a good idea to solve this problem is to talk to the parents about the girl's problem, and joint therapy - therapy for the whole family. In matters as delicate as mental he alth, you need to react quickly, because the he alth and life of a young person is at stake. At every stage of a child's development, you need to give them a lot of support, love, a sense of security and understanding, and spend their free time with them - even if the child is already a teenager, he needs it very much.
If in doubt, you will also need to consult a specialist doctor for an accurate and reliable diagnosis.
Remember that our expert's answer is informative and will not replace a visit to the doctor.
Ewa GuzowskaEwa Guzowska - educator, addiction therapist, lecturer at GWSH in Gdańsk. A graduate of the Pedagogical Academy in Krakow (social and care pedagogy) and postgraduate studies in therapy and diagnosis of children and adolescents with developmental disorders. She worked as a school educator and addiction therapist in a drug addiction center. He conducts numerous trainings in the field of interpersonal communication.
More advice from this expert
Teenager rebellion. How to deal with strange child behavior? [Expert advice]Constant fatigue, apathy, isolation from people [Expert advice]Diagnosis of a child with intellectual disability [Expert's advice]The child beats his head and cries [Expert's tip]The child repeats ugly words: what can we do? [Expert advice]How can I become a kindergarten teacher? [Expert advice]How is a teen to tell her parents about her pregnancy? [Expert advice]How to give medications to a person with dementia? [Expert advice]How to start autism therapy? [Expert advice]How can separation from a parent affect a baby? [Expert advice]How to deal with a difficult relationship with a partner? [Expert advice]How to encourage a child to read freely? [Expert advice]9-year-old fear of sleeping alone [Expert's advice]Teenager: what does it mean and where did sleeping with mom come from? [Expert advice]Teenager has a math problem: where to go? [Expert advice]Teenager does what she wants: how to deal with it? [Expert advice]Teen: bouts of aggression, depression, elevated mood [Expert advice] Teenage Girls: Exercise, He althy Eating, and Arresting Menstruation [Expert Advice]The habit of sucking the tongue while sleeping. How to unlearn a child? [Expert advice]An infant bends his ear while sleeping [Expert's tip]Nobody will interfere with the upbringing of my child….Symptoms of autism in a 2-year-old child [Expert's advice]Learning problems in a child in elementary school [Expert's advice]Adoption of a child. How to talk to a born child? [Expert advice]Where do dreams about ex-partners come from? [Expert advice]Anxiety in a child [Expert's advice]School: 6-year-olds without an educator [Expert's tip]Amphetamine addiction: how can I help a friend? [Expert advice]Vision defect and exemption from PE [Expert's advice]Grandson is addicted to computer games - what to do? [Expert advice]