Sometimes the ways people deal with pain are harmful to themselves; that’s according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They say there are more than 616,000 emergency department visits for self-harm injuries each year.
Suicide, they say, is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
What You Need To Know
Sometimes the ways people deal with pain are harmful to themselves, that’s according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Experts say when a person engages in acts of self-harm, it is often to cope with emotional pain
When emotional pain becomes too much, suicidal urges may arise
According to the New York State Department of Health’s Community Health Indicator Dashboard, between 2022 and 2023, suicide mortality for youth ages 15 to 19 rose.
The CDC offers suggestions to help handle difficult, common emotions such as deep breathing and writing in a journal when feeling anxious, joining clubs with shared interests to address loneliness, and seeking counseling when experiencing grief.
“I started cutting myself when I was 11,” Emily Crumb said.
Crumb said that’s when it all started.
“I remember just being angry, and I felt really isolated, and I felt like there was no outlet,” Crumb said. “After I attempted suicide, I was admitted to the behavioral unit, and I was 17 or 18. They only had adult behavioral unit there. So, I had to go to the adult behavioral unit. And it was terrifying.”
Garra Lloyd-Lester is the coordinator of community and coalition initiatives for the Suicide Prevention Center of New York.
He says when a person engages in acts of self-harm, it is often to cope with emotional pain.
When emotional pain becomes too much, suicidal urges may arise.
“We all have our own emotional pain thresholds, and it differs and the contributors to how I might get to emotional pain might be different than you,” Lloyd-Lester said. “But at the end of the day, if I have exceeded my capacity to handle that pain, I may think to myself, all I know that I want the pain to stop.”
He and Crumb have suggestions to help young people facing emotional pain.
They say to have conversations with kids about how they’re doing, to listen, to be kind whenever you can because you don’t know what others are going through.
Lloyd-Lester refers to the acronym FACTS as warning signs to look for. F is for feelings, A – actions, C – changes, T – threats, and S – situations.
“One of the things that we like about using that acronym, for example, too, is it can empower a parent to go to the young person in their life and say, ‘I’m worried about you, and here’s why’,” Lloyd-Lester said.
Crumb said her faith has been an encouragement.
“We pray for other people all the time. But I found myself, especially in the last year or two, praying for me. We also deserve to pray for ourselves and just tell God that, like, I feel really weak, but I know that You put me on this earth and that You have a bigger plan for me,” said Crumb.
Crumb is now a nurse, helping save lives, and an advocate for mental health awareness.
“I like the feeling of saving a life. I think maybe that has to do with my trying to take my own,” Crumb said. “And I’m not sure. But the feeling when somebody needs you, they depend on you and nothing else in the world really matters besides helping them, and it feels like meditation to me almost.”
The CDC offers suggestions to help handle difficult emotions such as deep breathing and writing in a journal when feeling anxious, joining clubs to address loneliness, and seeking counseling when experiencing grief.
Scars, gashes, excessive jewelry, wearing long sleeves even when it’s warm, and symptoms of depression could be potential signs that a child is engaging in acts of self-harm, according to healthychildren.org, from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
They recommend removing hazards such as knives, razors and poisons from your home if self-harming is taking place, and prioritizing family mental health and relationships.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988.