^ Goths 'more likely to self harm' ^

[NekkLe]

Goths 'more likely to self-harm'

Self-harming is a strategy for coping with serious emotional problems
Teenage Goths are more likely to self-harm than those in other social groups, a study has found.
Glasgow researchers surveyed 1,258 teens at the ages of 11, 13, 15 and 17.

Up to 14% of teenagers self-harm, but half of the 25 who described themselves as Goths had done so, reported the British Medical Journal.

Most self-harmed before becoming a Goth, suggesting they chose the subculture because they felt their emotional distress would be understood.

Self-harm - such as cutting, burning or punching to deliberately cause pain - is used as a way of coping with emotional problems.

It can be linked to depression, attempted suicide, and various psychiatric disorders in later life.

The Glasgow study found that belonging to the Goth subculture - as 25 people did - was strongly associated with a lifetime risk of self harm (53%) and attempted suicide (47%).

Goths favour black clothing, black and white make-up and tend to follow a style of rock music derived from punk.

Those who belonged to the group had the strongest association of any youth subculture, even after factors such as social class, parental separation, smoking, alcohol use, or previous depression had been taken into account.

Of the 93 who said they felt some identification with the Goth subculture, 10% had self-harmed.

Parents 'should not worry'

Robert Young, the psychologist who led the study, said: "Although only fairly small numbers of young people identify as belonging to the Goth subculture, rates of self-harm and attempted suicide are very high among this group.

Mr Young said a teenager who self-harmed was obviously a concern, whatever social group they belonged to.

But he added: "I don't think parents should be worried if their children identify with Goths.

"Rather than posing a risk, it's also possible that by belonging to this subculture young people are gaining valuable social and emotional support from their peers.

"However, the study was based on small numbers and replication is needed to confirm our results."

Dr Michael van Beinum, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Lanarkshire Public Healthcare Trust who advised on the study, said: "Social support is important for all young people to help them cope with the difficulties they face, and therefore finding a peer group of like-minded Goths may, for some, be adaptive.

"Adults helping young people in difficulty need to be aware that those who clearly identify with Goth subculture may also be self-harming, and may benefit from learning further coping mechanisms to help them overcome inner distress."

Avis Johns, of the charity Young Minds, said: "Self-harm amongst young people is a serious concern.

"This report suggests that as a society we need to do much more to provide support mechanisms for vulnerable people.

"It is a wake-up call for us all. We must ensure that young people receive support for mental illness in the ways and places that are responsive to their needs."

A good amount of copy and pasting there from the BBC website. Seeing as there are some people from that social group, whats are your views about this?

[Colourful™]

Wow. Pretty silly hurting yourself to be honest, but I think that it's up to them what they do, not the council.

[brodeo]

We already knew goths self harmed. Nothing new.

[NekkLe]

Yes I know, i'd like the share the statistics etc, it also contains info about what it can do to you in later life, something worth reading, don't read if you don't want to "/

[HUGECOOL]

The title of the thread should have read, "Goths more likes to self-harm; in the UK, since this report is based on UK culture not international.

[Faye]

not all goths self harm , their still normal people but they're just named differently

[Rawr]

Goths 'more likely to self-harm'

Self-harming is a strategy for coping with serious emotional problems
Teenage Goths are more likely to self-harm than those in other social groups, a study has found.
Glasgow researchers surveyed 1,258 teens at the ages of 11, 13, 15 and 17.

Up to 14% of teenagers self-harm, but half of the 25 who described themselves as Goths had done so, reported the British Medical Journal.

Most self-harmed before becoming a Goth, suggesting they chose the subculture because they felt their emotional distress would be understood.

Self-harm - such as cutting, burning or punching to deliberately cause pain - is used as a way of coping with emotional problems.

It can be linked to depression, attempted suicide, and various psychiatric disorders in later life.

The Glasgow study found that belonging to the Goth subculture - as 25 people did - was strongly associated with a lifetime risk of self harm (53%) and attempted suicide (47%).

Goths favour black clothing, black and white make-up and tend to follow a style of rock music derived from punk.

Those who belonged to the group had the strongest association of any youth subculture, even after factors such as social class, parental separation, smoking, alcohol use, or previous depression had been taken into account.

Of the 93 who said they felt some identification with the Goth subculture, 10% had self-harmed.

Parents 'should not worry'

Robert Young, the psychologist who led the study, said: "Although only fairly small numbers of young people identify as belonging to the Goth subculture, rates of self-harm and attempted suicide are very high among this group.

Mr Young said a teenager who self-harmed was obviously a concern, whatever social group they belonged to.

But he added: "I don't think parents should be worried if their children identify with Goths.

"Rather than posing a risk, it's also possible that by belonging to this subculture young people are gaining valuable social and emotional support from their peers.

"However, the study was based on small numbers and replication is needed to confirm our results."

Dr Michael van Beinum, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Lanarkshire Public Healthcare Trust who advised on the study, said: "Social support is important for all young people to help them cope with the difficulties they face, and therefore finding a peer group of like-minded Goths may, for some, be adaptive.

"Adults helping young people in difficulty need to be aware that those who clearly identify with Goth subculture may also be self-harming, and may benefit from learning further coping mechanisms to help them overcome inner distress."

Avis Johns, of the charity Young Minds, said: "Self-harm amongst young people is a serious concern.

"This report suggests that as a society we need to do much more to provide support mechanisms for vulnerable people.

"It is a wake-up call for us all. We must ensure that young people receive support for mental illness in the ways and places that are responsive to their needs."

A good amount of copy and pasting there from the BBC website. Seeing as there are some people from that social group, whats are your views about this?

Yes we know some goths/emos self-harm. We shall jut have another stereotyping thread again now.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/habbox/applause.gif

[Wootzeh]

I don't give a toss tbh.

[Janumz]

i'm a goth lyk (H) -slit-

[Billabong]

i'm a goth lyk (H) -slit-

Lol, not all goths/emos commit self harm, some do... not

[Grimmauld]

Lol, not all goths/emos commit self harm, some do... not
I don't believe he said ALL goths/emos commit self harm.

[punk_rock_rachy]

I think that most people self harm for attention...I mean why else would you want to inflict pain into yourself...or make scars that people can see :S....It's so that people will see and go "Omg (name), Why did you do that?...Are you ok? *sympathy**attention*"....

And Emo is a genre of Music....Fair do people are Emo...but Emo's are people are into emo music and die thier hair once every few hours... I know an Emo thats the happiest girl you could ever meet :)

But ok...Goth is kind of a depressing thing. Theres no colour...no fun...I would hate it :(...

*My opinions....Im sorry If I offend anyone :|*

[Piipp]

I'm offended by those of you saying that self harming is stupid. Me and a majority of my friends have all self harmed A LOT in the past, it doesn't make us stupid, we just have emotional issues. You can't really understand why people do it unless you do or have done it yourself, so please don't make offensive comments. No, it's not for attention either. It's just... a way of coping.

[FlyingJesus]

I don't think any parents need to worry about their gothic children self harming really. From what I've experienced of goth kids, their self harm is simply scratches on the top of the wrist - not harmful at all, just ugly when it scars. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule where (like Pipp said) people really do have problems that they don't feel they can sort out any other way, and these people need help. What I don't like about goths/emos is that they show self harm as something to do as part of a culture, and therefore take away attention from those who really need it.

[RedStratocas]

I'm offended by those of you saying that self harming is stupid. Me and a majority of my friends have all self harmed A LOT in the past, it doesn't make us stupid, we just have emotional issues. You can't really understand why people do it unless you do or have done it yourself, so please don't make offensive comments. No, it's not for attention either. It's just... a way of coping.

The amount of people who have done it doesnt make it less stupid. The majority of the U.S. voted for Bush, that doesnt make him a good president. 1 person could do it, a million could, its still the same thing.

[Piipp]

It's not 'stupid', it's just a way of dealing with something. Some people rant and rave, others cry, some self harm. We all have our ways. People like me, tha have suffered severe emotional stress and trauma have and will self harm, it's a part of life. I didn't do it for attention, doing it made me feel good. Sometimes, if things get bad now, I'll do it again. Not pathetic little 'cool' cuts to fit in with people though, gastly gashes. Once I had to have bandages on my arms because of the bleeding, I didn't do it for any reason other than the fact that I felt I needed to. Please don't offend people such as myself by saying we're stupid etc. Yes, a lot of self harmers do it for attention or to fit in, some of us however, do it for genuine reasons, you need to respect that and stop being so stereotypical.

[RedStratocas]

It's not 'stupid', it's just a way of dealing with something. Some people rant and rave, others cry, some self harm. We all have our ways. People like me, tha have suffered severe emotional stress and trauma have and will self harm, it's a part of life. I didn't do it for attention, doing it made me feel good. Sometimes, if things get bad now, I'll do it again. Not pathetic little 'cool' cuts to fit in with people though, gastly gashes. Once I had to have bandages on my arms because of the bleeding, I didn't do it for any reason other than the fact that I felt I needed to. Please don't offend people such as myself by saying we're stupid etc. Yes, a lot of self harmers do it for attention or to fit in, some of us however, do it for genuine reasons, you need to respect that and stop being so stereotypical.

How was I steriotypical? How in ANY WAY did I steriotype you at all? Point out where, I would LOVE to see where I was being steriotypical, so that I can formally apologize. If you cant find where, you can EAT IT.

However, if you think that self harming is "natural" and a real way to cope, you are dead wrong. Yes, there are right and wrong ways to cope with something, cutting is twards the wrong side. Ranting and raving gets rid of the same emotions without causing harm to yourself or others. Cutting also has a cycle of problems that could emerge: You cut, others find out, they treat you bad for it, you get depressed, you cut more. Hey, it happens I guess right?

[Piipp]

'The amount of people who have done it doesnt make it less stupid' In that very sentence you say that it's stupid. It is not, it's an emotional exit. Ranting and raving DOES hurt people, more so than self harming a lot of the time. This will be my last post on this thread. I don't want to read anymore posts offending me or other self harmers. See you on a less grim thread.

[HUGECOOL]

The amount of people who have done it doesnt make it less stupid. The majority of the U.S. voted for Bush, that doesnt make him a good president. 1 person could do it, a million could, its still the same thing.
Actually, Bush lost the popular vote. He won the electoral vote though. :/

[RedStratocas]

'The amount of people who have done it doesnt make it less stupid' In that very sentence you say that it's stupid. It is not, it's an emotional exit. Ranting and raving DOES hurt people, more so than self harming a lot of the time. This will be my last post on this thread. I don't want to read anymore posts offending me or other self harmers. See you on a less grim thread.

Calling something stupid IS NOT... I repeat... IS NOT... one more time.... IS NOT steriotyping. Steriotyping is judging something about someone based on something else about them which is completely irrelivent. If I think a movie was bad, is that steriotyping?

Ranting and raving does hurt in extreme cases, but cutting is DIRECT to hurting people.

And I was reffering to last election. He won that one, which proves our american idiocy. Although his aproval rating is extremely low since hurricane Katrina, so we are wising up.

[punk_rock_rachy]

Im not saying that it is stupid. And Im not saying that all Emos and All Goths self harm.

But to tell you the truth I used to self harm

At first I thought I did it for the adrenalin rush..it makes you forget your pain and concentrate on the blood that is coming out of yer wrists

But

I know A LOT of people who do it for attention. And maybe thats why i did it too :S

[Wootzeh]

Thanks for the bump you moron.

[Splinky]

I think that most people self harm for attention...I mean why else would you want to inflict pain into yourself...or make scars that people can see :S....It's so that people will see and go "Omg (name), Why did you do that?...Are you ok? *sympathy**attention*"....


So well said!, it is an attention thing. Why would you cut your self for emotions, coz surely it would make you more emotional.

[HellyBelly]

So well said!, it is an attention thing. Why would you cut your self for emotions, coz surely it would make you more emotional.

don't praise her when she bumped ty.

[Herman]

yay someone bumped. :eusa_danc :rolleyes:

[Ryan+Joe]

ROFL@BUMP!
i love helen.

[HellyBelly]

ROFL@BUMP!
i love helen.

i love ryan.

SENORITA, I FEEL FOR YOU (8)

[DJ-Precocious]

I know that this has already been said, but no way can you say that all goths self harm, i am and i have never self harmed, 1 because im not stupid and 2 because becoming a goth to socialise with other people who also have problems like you helps a lot.
I Also think that any person calling him/herself a goth and self harming is only doing it to get attention, there is no reason why adreniline helps i, and most people find it much better to talking to people to get watever is anoying us or making us deppresed off our chests

[RedStratocas]

It might just be me, but it seems like people from england steriotype themselves more than people in the U.S. If some reporter asked kids in the US if they describe themselves as goths, most would say no (even if others say they are)

People who call themselves 'Goth' or 'emo' here are bigger losers than people who call others goth or emo.

[paradox]

Im not saying that it is stupid. And Im not saying that all Emos and All Goths self harm.

But to tell you the truth I used to self harm

At first I thought I did it for the adrenalin rush..it makes you forget your pain and concentrate on the blood that is coming out of yer wrists

But

I know A LOT of people who do it for attention. And maybe thats why i did it too :S
Theres a time and a place for this image, and this is one of them.
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/6797/misc110xg4vu.jpg

[HellyBelly]

People who call themselves 'Goth' or 'emo' here are bigger losers than people who call others goth or emo.
I agree with that :)

[FrozenWhisper]

I must say thats stupid.Anyone can self harm. :rolleyes:

[louder]

I thought the streptype these days was that emo's self harm? :rolleyes:

[HellyBelly]

I thought the streptype these days was that emo's self harm? :rolleyes:

the only person who stereotypes you is yourself.

[Craig]

Im not saying that it is stupid. And Im not saying that all Emos and All Goths self harm.

But to tell you the truth I used to self harm

At first I thought I did it for the adrenalin rush..it makes you forget your pain and concentrate on the blood that is coming out of yer wrists

But

I know A LOT of people who do it for attention. And maybe thats why i did it too :S

This thread is 2 months old ****. Don't bump "/

[punk_rock_rachy]

It might just be me, but it seems like people from england steriotype themselves more than people in the U.S. If some reporter asked kids in the US if they describe themselves as goths, most would say no (even if others say they are)

People who call themselves 'Goth' or 'emo' here are bigger losers than people who call others goth or emo.

Go You. I have sterotyping people.

But Ok fair enough I said that I thought people did it for attention. But it still stands. I did it for attention because of things in my life. At the time you think its the adrenalin rush. But WAKE UP. It's not exactly giving you pleasure. I have a mate who does it and shes SUCH an attention seekr. It's giving you more pain. And if people didn't want attention then they wouldn't do it because of all attention you get from it wether you ask for it or not. If they wanted to cause less trouble they could just ignore it.

Btw I did it in like....Primary School. Im in 5th year now. :|

[sarey]

I think that most people self harm for attention...I mean why else would you want to inflict pain into yourself...or make scars that people can see :S....It's so that people will see and go "Omg (name), Why did you do that?...Are you ok? *sympathy**attention*"....

And Emo is a genre of Music....Fair do people are Emo...but Emo's are people are into emo music and die thier hair once every few hours... I know an Emo thats the happiest girl you could ever meet :)

But ok...Goth is kind of a depressing thing. Theres no colour...no fun...I would hate it :(...

*My opinions....Im sorry If I offend anyone :|*

Okay.. let me explain.
1. If selfharmers any seflharmer wanted attention i think theyd find a less dangerous and fun way in doing so.
2. I dont think (someone) would of hid their cuts for 3 years, and is still doing it, nd hiding it, would be consider attention seeking.
3. You shud research selfharm and actually find REAL sites involving selfharm, that are true.
Some people do do it for attention, but not every selfharmer does.
Just had to say this.

[punk_rock_rachy]

Fair Point.

But you still get a lot of attention for it.

And

I don't believe I said ALL self harmers do it for attention.

If I did. I didn't mean it. lawl.

Because Its fair enough when people do.

But I can't remember one single good thing about it when I did it. Other than it gave me attention.

=S

xx

[sarey]

Well i know a few reasons which are good for myself, maybe not others, but myself. Which im not sharing. Since this is personal and its about theories.

Edit: And how can someone get attention for it if they try their damn best to hide it? Hm.. some selfharmers, including myself, are secretive, and do everything in ther power to prevent vision on the abuse they do to themselfs ie; bruces/cuts/burns.

[punk_rock_rachy]

Yes I agree. If you try to hide it the best you can then it is obviously for other reasons.

I'm sorry if I offend you.

I used to do it myself.

I'm not going to start again because I am already scarred by the last time and it was about 3 years ago.

But nonono you don't have to say what the reasons are. But I think one reason is that it hurts so much that it takes away the pain of what else you are upset about. Also, It may be that you are angry and don't want to hurt other people, so you hurt yourself to take out your anger. Those were the reasons I done it. I think =S

xxxx

[sarey]

I prefer not to expose my reasons.
Sometimes i just giveup hiding, but when my mum or sister sees they dont sy anythin since they know i need it.
If its deep ill go hosp.
But yeah.. not all attention seek. So mm.

[punk_rock_rachy]

lawl. Well thats the reasons that I did it for. I should think many other people have them reasons too.

But I think I still do it from time to time.

When I am hysterically crying.

I never remember.

Because of something..

But I have scars on my wrists and arms.

So I probably do.

But I wear sweat bands and everything.

I don't feel the need to do it anymore because my life got better.

I just wish that if people really feel the need to do it

Do it for REAL reasons (Not saying any of you don't)

=)

[sarey]

Well.. selfharm always has real reasons;
-Guilt
-Anger
-Pain
-Upsetness
-Addicted
-No reason at all, just see a razor and do it cause your so attatched too it
-Hurting inside so much you need a realease
-Or.. like you said crave attention, BECAUSE.. eithet they dont get enough, need to feel loved/cared about, or too be noticed.
Attention seeking isnt exactly a good way throughout cutting yourself or abusing yourself physically, nor mentally. But, if your doing it for attention, i advice doing it a different, safer, fun way on doing so. But most selfharmers dont. From experience... but i know attention seeking is;
Showing cuts like literley too people, telling about their cuts/scars/burns, being dramatic and manipulating people / threatening them by using your selfharm ie; Ill cut myself if you dont do this and that.
But every selfharmer has a real reason, like i said up their, its a real reason. Craving attention everynow and then is perfectly normal, but doing it by cutting yourself is kinda dangerous and could become addictive.

[punk_rock_rachy]

Fair Enough. I agree.

I have a friend. She cuts herself. She doesn't go around showing everyone like my other friend does. But she doesn't exactly hide it either. She doesn't have all that bad a family. She has two parents that love her. Her mum might be a bit strict but not too bad. She thinks she is ugly. Thats about it. She thinks she can't get a bf. I think this boy she used to see is whats making her self harm again. But I'm not sure. She has lots of mates that love her and she can talk to them. So why does she still feel the need to self harm. I'm not being opinionated I am just wondering now.

Im confused =S

[BL!NKEY]

Craving attention everynow and then is perfectly normal, but doing it by cutting yourself is kinda dangerous and could become addictive.

But if you are feeling sad or angry and have a reason it is a good idea to release your emotions by cuting yourself?

I dont understand why it would help yourself by cutting your wrist? The only thing that I can see that would come out of it is having people come up to you and go "wow" I cant believe you did that you must have a bad life and I should be nicer to you and notice you more.

I dont know much about this subject because no one I know is going through it but that was just my outsiders opinion.

[sarey]

A selfharmer is secretive about their real feelings and hide it to prevent anyone fussing over it, or to prevent anything done too it.
Cutting can let go of some feelings, she may feel numb, she may feel she needs to be punished.. but thing is.. if shes selfharmed for ahwile, she could be addicted, so why not ask her if shes okay lately, and everything.
The happiest person in this world, could be the miserablest person too.

EDIT:
Blinky, some people are as i said addicted too it, and someone said earlier, you cant understand it, the relief, the senses, and emotions afterwards, if you havent cut at all. Its just something selfharmers can only understand, since their doing it too themselfs.
I dont particulry agree with that saying people come up too u ect ect, because i used to and still do get bullied having someone found out about me doing it, its horrible being bullied because of something your addicted too and hate yet cant bare without it. This will help:
Most people think it's distugusting. Why in the world would anyone want to cut themselves on purpose? Are we sick? Maybe. But it's about feeling better. The most important thing to remember is that cutting is not a suicide attempt. Self-Injury and suicide are two very, very different things. Self-Injury is often what people do to keep themselves from suicide. Self-Injury is a quick fix. It's a coping method. And although it may not be the best coping method, it's still what gets us through.


Reasons why people self-injure:

1. It's chemical. Cutting releases endorphins in the brain. Those endorphins are adreanaline, which makes you feel better.

2. It puts you in control of your pain. You are causing the pain, and you can stop the pain.

3. It allows emotional pain to become physical. Not only does this make it easier to heal, it allows your feeling to become something tangible.

4. It makes you feel stronger.

5. Control, Control, CONTROL. Cutting makes me feel stronger. It puts me in control. No matter how my life seems to be spinning out of control, I am suddenly grounded. It clears my mind.

6. Eases tension.

7. It allows others to see your pain.

8. It reminds you that you're alive. Sometimes I forget, and everything feels numb. The blood reminds me I am here.

9. It vents anger. Sometimes I am just so angry at myself, the world, whoever, and I feel I'm just going to explode if I don't let it out.

[punk_rock_rachy]

But if you are feeling sad or angry and have a reason it is a good idea to release your emotions by cuting yourself?

I dont understand why it would help yourself by cutting your wrist? The only thing that I can see that would come out of it is having people come up to you and go "wow" I cant believe you did that you must have a bad life and I should be nicer to you and notice you more.

I dont know much about this subject because no one I know is going through it but that was just my outsiders opinion.

Exactly. =)

[punk_rock_rachy]

Yeah I know.

I'm good at hiding my feelings.

I do ask her. I ask her all the time.

But I don't think I can handle it y'know?

She always :'( in her name and she is always just "alright". Or "sh!te" and it gets to me. I love her and I am worried about her but I think she is seeing a doctor. I just feel akward. I dont know how to deal with it. I'd rather not. I just wanna have fun while Im young. But I can't when one of my best mates is feeling down all the time :|

[sarey]

So help her. Confront her. :/ I would. Btw read my edit.

[punk_rock_rachy]

How do you read the edit? lawl. Sowweee I dont come here often

Yeah I have. It's not helping
I tell her that I will always be here for her
And that i love her

But

I dunno...

I'm not a doctor so....

xxx

[punk_rock_rachy]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh nvm I get what you mean now =)

[Notex]

Lol nice internet jargon.. despite the fact im not a goth i totally disagree, gothics are labeled because of the way they dress and the music they listen to.. it isnt just because the way they act.
What about the 1000s of so called "normal" teenagers that self halm every day.. It isnt because of their label that they self halm its because of events happening in their lives. So think twice next time when you decide to label a group of self harming when you dont understand the matters that are happening in other peoples lives.

[sarey]

Their. Thats what i wos thinking but i decided to explain WHY and why its so hard too stop. - Addictive

[punk_rock_rachy]

Self Harm

Hey there guys. Lately, I have seen several 'self-harming' threads on this forum, about teenagers who have hurt themselves on deliberate to try and relieve pain, make themselves feel better, attention etc. by perhaps slitting their wrists etc. Therefore, in this post I am basically going to try and sum up self-harming for you, and explain why people do it, why you shouldn;t and the help self-harmers can get, so I hope you find it useful.


What is self harm?

It's called many things -- self-inflicted violence, self-injury, self-harm, parasuicide, delicate cutting, self-abuse, self-mutilation. Basically, self harm is the act of attempting to change a mood state by inflicting physical harm serious enough to cause tissue damage to one's body.

Approximately 1% of the United States population uses physical self-injury as a way of dealing with overwhelming feelings or situations, often using it to speak when no words will come.


How common is self harm?

Although it may not actually be obvious to you, or your not aware of it, it has been proved that more than one in 10 adolescents have deliberately harmed themselves. The study, commissioned by the Samaritans and conducted by the Centre for Suicide Research at Oxford University, found youngsters were more likely to harm themselves if they had friends who had already done so. Each year in the UK more than 24,000 teenagers are admitted to hospital after deliberately harming themselves.



What are examples of self harm behavior?

The forms and severity of self harm can vary, although the most commonly seen behavior is:

cutting
burning
head-banging
Other forms of self-injurious behavior include:

carving
scratching
branding
marking
burning/abrasions
biting
bruising
hitting
picking/pulling skin and hair.
It's not self-injury if the primary purpose is:
sexual gratification
body decoration (e.g., body piercing, tattooing)
spiritual enlightenment via ritual
fitting in or being cool

Why does self harming make some people feel better?

It reduces physiological and psychological tension rapidly.
Studies have suggested that when people who self-injure get emotionally overwhelmed, an act of self-harm brings their levels of psychological and physiological tension and arousal back to a bearable baseline level almost immediately. In other words, they feel a strong uncomfortable emotion, don't know how to handle it (indeed, often do not have a name for it), and know that hurting themselves will reduce the emotional discomfort extremely quickly. They may still feel bad (or not), but they don't have that panicky jittery trapped feeling; it's a calm bad feeling.
Some people never get a chance to learn how to cope effectively.
One factor common to most people who self-injure, whether they were abused or not, is invalidation. They were taught at any early age that their interpretations of and feelings about the things around them were bad and wrong. They learned that certain feelings weren't allowed. In abusive homes, they may have been severely punished for expressing certain thoughts and feelings. At the same time, they had no good role models for coping. You can't learn to cope effectively with distress unless you grow up around people who are coping effectively with distress. Although a history of abuse is common about self-injurers, not everyone who self-injures was abused. Sometimes invalidation and lack of role models for coping are enough, especially if the person's brain chemistry has already primed them for choosing this sort of coping.
Self-punishment (either because they believe they deserve punishment for either having good feelings or being an "evil" person or because they hope that self-punishment will avert worse punishment from some outside source.I think that I may self harm then. Cos I bang my head off my wall when I cry. I pull at my hair when I am annoyed and I scratch myself. Ok I didn't even know that I self harmed :|:|

Edited by Craig[Forum Moderator]: No swearing please,even if it is just starred out, thanks!

[Notex]

Did you ask permission to steal that information? You just copied it from a website right.. i dont believe you or any of us are qualified to speak about a sensitive matter lets leave that to the professionals and teachers of the teens involved in self harm.

[punk_rock_rachy]

I am involved in self harm.

I do it...according to that info.

And some of my mates do it :|

So I am involved lawl.

And the whole thing confuses me.

xx

[sarey]

Dont have to brag about it.
And that was a thread in teen life..

[RLY-CRAIG?]

People that self harm are really silly

[Craig]

Yeah and they think it's cool to self harm. They even brag about it ;/

[RedStratocas]

Yeah and they think it's cool to self harm. They even brag about it ;/

The people who tell everyone about how they self harm do it for attention. No question about it.

[RLY-CRAIG?]

The people who tell everyone about how they self harm do it for attention. No question about it.

Agreed

[Craig]

Apparently Rups was telling me on MSN yesterday that she was speaking to someone from this forum and Rups was debating about her apparently self harming and this other forum member said 'You made me go slit now,thanks a bunch'

I pmsl.

[sarey]

If thats about me, i didnt say that. :/
Because i was speaking too her yesterday, and i fell out with her because she called me an attention seeker, and im very much againts people who attention seek for fricken selfharm. But hey, theirs alot of people who 'slit' themselfs on here, considering in the teen life section.

[Scorpio]

Goths 'more likely to self-harm'

Self-harming is a strategy for coping with serious emotional problems
Teenage Goths are more likely to self-harm than those in other social groups, a study has found.
Glasgow researchers surveyed 1,258 teens at the ages of 11, 13, 15 and 17.

Up to 14% of teenagers self-harm, but half of the 25 who described themselves as Goths had done so, reported the British Medical Journal.

Most self-harmed before becoming a Goth, suggesting they chose the subculture because they felt their emotional distress would be understood.

Self-harm - such as cutting, burning or punching to deliberately cause pain - is used as a way of coping with emotional problems.

It can be linked to depression, attempted suicide, and various psychiatric disorders in later life.

The Glasgow study found that belonging to the Goth subculture - as 25 people did - was strongly associated with a lifetime risk of self harm (53%) and attempted suicide (47%).

Goths favour black clothing, black and white make-up and tend to follow a style of rock music derived from punk.

Those who belonged to the group had the strongest association of any youth subculture, even after factors such as social class, parental separation, smoking, alcohol use, or previous depression had been taken into account.

Of the 93 who said they felt some identification with the Goth subculture, 10% had self-harmed.

Parents 'should not worry'

Robert Young, the psychologist who led the study, said: "Although only fairly small numbers of young people identify as belonging to the Goth subculture, rates of self-harm and attempted suicide are very high among this group.

Mr Young said a teenager who self-harmed was obviously a concern, whatever social group they belonged to.

But he added: "I don't think parents should be worried if their children identify with Goths.

"Rather than posing a risk, it's also possible that by belonging to this subculture young people are gaining valuable social and emotional support from their peers.

"However, the study was based on small numbers and replication is needed to confirm our results."

Dr Michael van Beinum, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Lanarkshire Public Healthcare Trust who advised on the study, said: "Social support is important for all young people to help them cope with the difficulties they face, and therefore finding a peer group of like-minded Goths may, for some, be adaptive.

"Adults helping young people in difficulty need to be aware that those who clearly identify with Goth subculture may also be self-harming, and may benefit from learning further coping mechanisms to help them overcome inner distress."

Avis Johns, of the charity Young Minds, said: "Self-harm amongst young people is a serious concern.

"This report suggests that as a society we need to do much more to provide support mechanisms for vulnerable people.

"It is a wake-up call for us all. We must ensure that young people receive support for mental illness in the ways and places that are responsive to their needs."

A good amount of copy and pasting there from the BBC website. Seeing as there are some people from that social group, whats are your views about this?

Self-harming can also be from scatching, it sounds silly but I often do it. I start scratching my wrist when i'm thinking about something, something that worries me or something I feel bad about, and I won't even notice i'm doing it until I see blood or feel it stinging. I hate it >;l

People self-harm not for attention, but to make themselves feel better. When they cut themselves they feel a release from things they are troubled by, and often feel guilty afterwards. Why would they hide their scars if they wanted attention?

Also, incase any of you want to ask, I am not a goth, lol! :D I'm just a worrier. x] Anyway, they're my views ;]

[FlyingJesus]

To everyone who's been saying stuff about how "anyone can self harm", "not all goths do it" and "it's not just goths/emos that self harm", if you read the original post that started this thread then you'll see that it says that 10% of people who called themselves goths admitted to self harming. Nowhere does it claim that only goths do it, nowhere does it claim that all goths do it. Nowhere does it say that other people stereotype them as goths, they did so themselves.

[Nixt]

To everyone who's been saying stuff about how "anyone can self harm", "not all goths do it" and "it's not just goths/emos that self harm", if you read the original post that started this thread then you'll see that it says that 10% of people who called themselves goths admitted to self harming. Nowhere does it claim that only goths do it, nowhere does it claim that all goths do it. Nowhere does it say that other people stereotype them as goths, they did so themselves.

He is so right...
It is my opinion that people self harm because they feel they have no control; similar to psychological reasons for Anorexia, I think that Self Harmers don't like the way that their body is growing out of their own control. This frustrates them and therefore leads to self harm which gives them the sense of control over their body that they have desired for so long.

[Craig]

If thats about me, i didnt say that. :/
Because i was speaking too her yesterday, and i fell out with her because she called me an attention seeker, and im very much againts people who attention seek for fricken selfharm. But hey, theirs alot of people who 'slit' themselfs on here, considering in the teen life section.

No twasn't.

[sarey]

No twasn't.

k. Gd. Pers not every selfharmer does it for control, because sometimes that control is lost just like some anorexic people loose control.