The Silent Cry Understanding Children's Struggle With Self-Harm, Overcoming Pain And Building Resilience

By Brittany Forrester

"The Silent Cry" delves into the often overlooked and susceptible subject of children's struggle with self-harm. The book explores the hidden pain that many children carry, providing invaluable insights for parents, educators, and caregivers.

The book sheds light on the silent cries of children who grapple with the complexities of self-harm. It navigates through the layers of emotions, uncovering the root causes and offering practical strategies to help children overcome their pain.

It is a roadmap for parents and caregivers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the delicate terrain of a child's emotional well-being. It is a call to action, urging society to break the silence surrounding children's mental health and advocate for a more compassionate and understanding approach.

• Language: English
• Publisher: vincenzo nappi
• Release date: Feb 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224112524

Book preview

Chapter One

Introduction

SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIORS have been identified within almost all cultures and periods of history alongside numerous presentations and definitions that have been seen to alter according to several factors. What can be acknowledged is that the rate of self-harm remains an increasing problem for the healthcare services of many countries. Numerous studies have noted that demographic factors significantly influence the outcome of self-injurious behaviors. Although the rate of actual suicide amongst males is higher per capita than females, the rates for self-harm of low lethality are higher amongst the female population, a factor identified in several studies.

Alongside the issues of gender, another important feature of self-harm is patient age. Epidemiological studies have noted that the age. The patient can profoundly impact the potential lethality of their actions. Rates of self-injury vary between studies, and as indicated, actual figures are difficult to calculate. Yet, there is an acceptance that acts of self-harm amongst the young are increasing. Since the 1950s, the suicide rate among adolescents has more than tripled. Other studies do suggest that there is an epidemic of self-harm amongst the young. The number of young people admitted to hospitals for the treatment of self-harm behaviors has increased. As a result, the age of the self-harming individual has been felt to influence the actions of those they come into contact with. Many young people have described adverse reactions to their injuries. Hospital staff have been noted to act critically toward young self-harm patients, resulting in increased feelings of isolation and self-loathing.

Some of us smoke and risk developing lung cancer. Others drink too much alcohol, eat too little or too much, overwork, get insufficient exercise, and generally do not take good enough care of themselves. I felt this was an educational psychology issue overlapping considerably with clinical, forensic, health psychology, and other disciplines. Self-harm has become a public health concern in much of the Western world. Upon its inclusion in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), Non-Suicidal SelfInjury Disorder was described as a condition requiring further study. One of the reasons for concern is the disorder’s high prevalence in young people and evidence of a significant rise in rates over the past few years. Many authors and researchers highlight that self-harm is important due to its connection with future suicidality. There is evidence that self-harm that begins without expressed suicidal intent may be followed by acts with greater suicidal intent. Additionally, adolescent self-harm might signal a risk of affective disorder in young adulthood.

Defining ‘self-harm’ is problematic. This behavior category has wide variations, including type, frequency (repetitive behavior versus isolated incidents), and intent. There is no universal clinical consensus concerning the terms used to describe the phenomenon. Self-harm, self-injury, self-injurious behavior, self-mutilation, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), deliberate self-harm (DSH), deliberate self-injurious behaviors (D-SIB), self-cutting, and suicidal behaviors are some of the many terms often used interchangeably among researchers and clinicians. This inconsistency in terminology results in ambiguity regarding what construct is being investigated and makes it difficult to draw accurate comparisons between studies. Self-harm is the term most commonly used in the UK, while self-injury is more common in the