Page 485 - Štemberger Tina, Čotar Konrad Sonja, Rutar Sonja, Žakelj Amalija. Ur. 2022. Oblikovanje inovativnih učnih okolij. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
P. 485
The Approaches in Working with Self-Harmed Students
do it again. I try not to show weaknesses in front of other people when-
ever possible and later I remove these accumulated emotions from myself
by cutting.’ The adolescent experiences serious psychological distress before
self-harm. They do not know how to express their internal pains in an appro-
priate manner and therefore they alleviate them with self-harm. Self-harm
calms them down, puts them down to earth, they feel inner peace and feel
stronger. They redirect their physical pain, and it is certainly easier to control.
Self-harm calms their depressing thoughts and the emotional pain moves to
external pain. They know how to control external pain and for this reason
they reach a positive feeling for a short time. Relief and reassurance appear.
Soon after that, the feelings of guilt and shame come. The girls do not have
any control over themselves. They cannot control negative thoughts, so they
turn in a vicious circle. XX became an addict, cutting became a permanent,
regular act. At the beginning about once a week. Then gradually 2 to 3 times
a week, then once a day and, in the final phase, 4 to 5 times a day. It is like she
was an addict. Tara also tells how cutting ran out of control. ‘When I began
to cut myself more often, I started to cut more deeply. Some wounds bled
for several days. All this led me to a psychiatrist and therapies three times a
week, but they did not help. I did not want to change. Finally, I ended up in a
psychiatric institution.’
All three were given professional help. The professional help was provided
to Tara and Ema by their parents. XX sought help by herself when she was a
student, but she was not satisfied with her therapist. Tara resisted hard when
her parents were looking for help with the paediatrician. The latter referred
them to a pedopsychiatrist, where Tara had to go three times a week. XX
sought for help by herself when she was a student in Ljubljana. The thera-
pist said that she had to stop with self-harm, because there were better and
healthier ways to cope with problems. Consolidated wisdom. She just did not
want to be there. She told her what she wanted to hear so that she could get
away from there as soon as possible. Soon after the first self-harm, Ema was
diagnosed with major depression. The diagnosis was made by the pedopsy-
chiatrist. She was prescribed antidepressants immediately.
XX refused professional treatment by psychiatrists. She believed that they
did not help her. The professionals told her things that she had already
known. Therefore, she quit the therapy. She never took any medicines.
Ema started taking medicines, antidepressants at an early age. The treat-
ment was necessary due to serious form of depression. They replaced her
several types of antidepressants. Ema believes that she did not get the help
she needed from the psychologist.
485
do it again. I try not to show weaknesses in front of other people when-
ever possible and later I remove these accumulated emotions from myself
by cutting.’ The adolescent experiences serious psychological distress before
self-harm. They do not know how to express their internal pains in an appro-
priate manner and therefore they alleviate them with self-harm. Self-harm
calms them down, puts them down to earth, they feel inner peace and feel
stronger. They redirect their physical pain, and it is certainly easier to control.
Self-harm calms their depressing thoughts and the emotional pain moves to
external pain. They know how to control external pain and for this reason
they reach a positive feeling for a short time. Relief and reassurance appear.
Soon after that, the feelings of guilt and shame come. The girls do not have
any control over themselves. They cannot control negative thoughts, so they
turn in a vicious circle. XX became an addict, cutting became a permanent,
regular act. At the beginning about once a week. Then gradually 2 to 3 times
a week, then once a day and, in the final phase, 4 to 5 times a day. It is like she
was an addict. Tara also tells how cutting ran out of control. ‘When I began
to cut myself more often, I started to cut more deeply. Some wounds bled
for several days. All this led me to a psychiatrist and therapies three times a
week, but they did not help. I did not want to change. Finally, I ended up in a
psychiatric institution.’
All three were given professional help. The professional help was provided
to Tara and Ema by their parents. XX sought help by herself when she was a
student, but she was not satisfied with her therapist. Tara resisted hard when
her parents were looking for help with the paediatrician. The latter referred
them to a pedopsychiatrist, where Tara had to go three times a week. XX
sought for help by herself when she was a student in Ljubljana. The thera-
pist said that she had to stop with self-harm, because there were better and
healthier ways to cope with problems. Consolidated wisdom. She just did not
want to be there. She told her what she wanted to hear so that she could get
away from there as soon as possible. Soon after the first self-harm, Ema was
diagnosed with major depression. The diagnosis was made by the pedopsy-
chiatrist. She was prescribed antidepressants immediately.
XX refused professional treatment by psychiatrists. She believed that they
did not help her. The professionals told her things that she had already
known. Therefore, she quit the therapy. She never took any medicines.
Ema started taking medicines, antidepressants at an early age. The treat-
ment was necessary due to serious form of depression. They replaced her
several types of antidepressants. Ema believes that she did not get the help
she needed from the psychologist.
485
