More about self harm

[dreamer_easy]

I've been doing a little bit of reading online. I'm still finding no evidence that teens self-harm to fake depression because it's trendy. What I am learning is that self-harm is common, but sometimes dismissed as mere attention-seeking. (There is a hugely obvious parallel here with sexual assault which I am just not getting into.)

Thinking about it more, I realised that I have engaged in self harm on a few occasions - thankfully, I have never injured myself or even drawn blood. I have pulled my own hair, slapped myself in the face (this is quite funny to think about now - try and picture it!) and pushed the tip of a pen into my hand. Luckily these were all isolated occasions; my shrink explained that if you start hurting yourself, it can become powerfully addictive.

I think the most disturbing remark in the metaquotes discussion that prompted these postings was one about trendy kids making "shallow cuts on their wrists" - in other words, fake suicide attempts to grab attention. In fact, cutting on the arms is one of the most common forms of self-harm: on the occasions when I have felt the impulse to hurt myself, that's what I've felt like doing. And seemingly minor injuries can be the symptoms of major distress.

Check out this info from the UK's National Self Harm Network. Also, the one time I came close to cutting myself, a page of advice from Australia's Reach Out helped a lot.

Comments

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Why you can't get time off from work?

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

My schedule fails? ^^;;; Because we're so severely understaffed that I can't in good conscience take off, because it would mean my sweet, sweet coworker picking it up, and I don't want that. She is way to stressed already.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Oh - but she certainly wouldn't want you to hurt yourself! She'd be sad and worried that you went for emergency surgery, as well as having to cover for you, so she'd actually be worse off.

Maybe you could offer to cover for her in return, so she has some time off in return? Or maybe someone else could be found to help out temporarily?

(How much time do you need? I was amazed to be in and out of hospital in one day for my ankle op.)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Since the job requires standing for periods of five hours, I'm going to need to three days for the foot to stop hurting before I can handle it. And I do offer to trade days. She's just so unbelievably nice. She never argues. she has no life. She just says 'okay. when do you need?'. I end up suggesting a fill-in date, and I just feel--so guilty. So. guilty.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

It sounds like it wouldn't hurt her in any way for you to have a few days off to get your tootsies sorted out - it won't inconvenience or stress her in any way.

The real problem is it hurts you to ask. I think I know what that's like. I feel guilty all the time about letters I haven't answered and things like that, where I feel like I owe someone something and I'm inconveniencing them and making them hate me. Even when objectively I know it's nonsense.

Do you feel like you could tell her you feel badly about swapping days? When I was too ill to travel to Melbourne with my parents-in-law last weekend, it helped me to tell them how badly I felt about the whole mess. They were very understanding.

You can arrange it all well in advance to make sure it's definitely convenient for her, and you could give her some flowers or chocolate frogs when you get back to say "thanks". (Do you have chocolate frogs up over? I don't think I've seen them.)

If I had to stand up for five hours, my bottom would fall off.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

The other part of it is that I work until the end of August, so I keep telling myself I just need to wait--once I'm off work, I'll have plenty of time to worry about my toeses. And that's logical, and smart, and a good solution. ^^;;; It's just that spoiled brat baby inside me wants it done NOW. NOOOOOOOOOOOW.

Although that's a very wise idea, and I think I'll do it anyway for her switching days with me this weekend. (WE DON'T! OMG. You have chocolate frogs? Omggggggg. We have chocolate kangaroos at the shadow grocery, but that's the closest.)

^^ I've run through three or four pairs of shoes with this job, because I keep wearing them to pieces. By 'stand' I really meant 'run around'. Either way on the feet.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

It sounds as though your feet are a crucial component of this job!

I'll send you some chocolate frogs if you're not careful!

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

They are! ^_________^

...This is me totally pretending to argue.

Freddo frogs shall be yours!

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Email me your snail mail: korman@spamcop.net

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

I got a really bad cold back in February, just when I was supposed to go in for my ankle op, and of course the anaesthetist said we should postpone. I had to wait another month. It was a real blow - I'd got used to the pain and inconvenience of my dud ankle, but I was really looking forward to getting it fixed, and I'd psyched myself up and everything. Life is so much better now my foot works again!

In short, if your foot is giving you gyp, there's nothing bratty about wanting to get it fixed! Especially since you're getting so much use out of the thing. (Teh INtarwebs should come with a treadmill so I can get some exercise.)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

I'd done that, too! I had a nice period to get it done, and then it turned out Mum switched jobs and we had no medical insurance, so I had to cancel.

Still, though. I really need just to wait. ^^;;; (That would rock! I would use it all the tiiiiiiiime!)