Why is Self-Harm Rising in New Zealand Schools?

Helping Those who Self-Harm

Arecent report shows the number of people aged 10-14 admitted to hospitals for self-harm has almost doubled since the start of the pandemic and the rate for 15-19 yearolds rose by 15%. A previous study found roughly 1 in 3 high school students reported self-harm. A 2017 study found 28% of university students had tried it.

The numbers cited about should ring alarm bells. Something is seriously wrong when the rates are this high.

When we talk about self-harm in this context, we are talking about someone deliberately hurting themselves without the intention to end their lives. The technical name for it is nonsuicidal-self-injury. There are a lot of myths about self-harm, the biggest of which is that they are just seeking attention. The person may be saying, “I need help,” but they are not self-harming for the sake of attention. It is also worth noting that up to 70% of people who self-harm do it on nonvisible parts of their bodies, essentially the opposite of seeking attention.

There are many reasons why people self-harm. Here are some of the most common:

To Feel Something

When depression becomes advanced, many people do not report an overwhelming feeling of sadness. They report feeling numb. Some people self-harm to feel pain and when they feel the pain, they feel a little bit human again.

To Avoid Dying by Suicide

This one sounds paradoxical but for some people, the only way they know how to avoid intense thoughts of suicide is to self-harm.

To Punish Themselves

Often, if people are angry and hate themselves, they take out this anger out on themselves is by self-harm.

To Gain Relief From Emotional Pain

Many people say the intense physical pain takes their mind of the emotional pain they are in.

Anxiety, high stress and difficulty making friends can all contribute to this. Another significant reason I am seeing is sensory issues. These occur when people perceive the world more intensely or softly than other people. For example, they may hear footsteps on linoleum floor as loud a sound as a gunshot, or they might find looking at white paper so bight they need to look away. More and more students are experiencing sensory issues. They often feel like their head is going to explode with overwhelm.

I said that self-harm can bring relief. One of the problems is this relief often lasts 10-15 seconds, so some people will do it again and again. The end result of this is that they feel worse not better.

If you discover that a person has self-harmed, it is really important that you show understanding and acknowledge the pain they must be going through. You should say something like, “I have noticed those cuts on your wrist. I’m not angry, but I’m really concerned for you. You must be going through a really tough time.”

Self-harm is not a do-it-yourself job. If someone is selfharming, it is very important to get them to a competent mental health professional. The key word is competent. Sadly, there are many helping professionals that do not understand self-harm or they say the person is just seeking attention. It is vital to find someone who does understand this.

Above all, self-harm must be taken seriously. Unmanaged self-harm can lead to thoughts of suicide. The good news is that about 90% of teenagers who self-harm do not go on to become chronic self-harmers.

Michael Hempseed is the author of Being A True Hero: Understanding and Preventing Suicide in Your Community, which has sleep has a major theme. The book is being used by the New Zealand Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, GPs, Counsellors, as well as many parents and teachers. Michael gained an honours degree in Psychology from the University of Canterbury in 2008. The Trauma page on my website has more info about this: www.beingatruehero. com/trauma.html

Michael has lots of sleep resources on his website: www.beingatruehero.com