4 Troubled Teens Blog

Teens have a new way to injure themselves: "self-embedding disorder."

Previously recognized forms of self-injury included cutting, burning, pulling out hair, breaking bones or swallowing dangerous substances. The new way is to embed a foreign object, such as a nail or paper clip, into one's body.

At the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, Dr. William Shiels, chief of radiology at the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, presented the first research on self-embedding, noting that radiologists are often the ones who detect the disorder.

Shiels's study involved ten teenagers who had jammed more than 50 objects - including metal staples, metal paper clips, a lead pencil, crayons, stones, glass and wood - into their arms, ankles, feet, and hands. One girl embedded a six-inch paper clip into her arm.

Most of the teens suffered from mental disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, and Dr. Shiels warned that self-embedding can be a form of suicidal ideation that mandates immediate attention. "Parents often do not see the behavior evolving," he said. "Parents need to recognize the problem and get their child into therapy quickly."

Labels: self-harm, cutting, self_injury

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

When Lucy was 14, whenever she felt overwhelmed by pressure or despair, she didn't turn to parents, school counselors or friends - she turned to blades or bottles of pills. Now 21, Lucy admits making at least seven suicide attempts.

"That's an attitude that doesn't surprise Tillie Black Bear, chairman of the Rosebud Suicide Task Force. She is convinced that it exists to a greater extent than many people on her reservation are willing to believe."

Children who grow up on reservations often deal with levels of alcoholism, poverty, and gangs that most kids don't ever experience. This makes them far more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, experts say. Source: Argus Leader (Sioux Fall, MD)

Labels: suicide, drinking, cutting

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

In recent years, cutting has gained more attention as teachers, parents, and psychologists began to realize that this form of self-mutilation was more common than many had believed. They've also found that it affects a very different group of kids than many had believed.

"Recent research by Dr. Madeline Levine, an American psychologist, found that children from affluent homes... were three times more likely to suffer anxiety and depression than ordinary teenagers. Bullying and anxiety about academic performance are cited as common reasons and the stress may manifest itself in anorexia, bulimia - or, increasingly, self-harming."

In years past, self-harm often took the form of hair pulling or eating disorders. But now, teachers and parents are seeing more kids who cut. As a result of the new data, the medical community has recommended that additional studies be done to determine which treatments are the most effective. Education is also considered key; so that parents and teachers know how to respond and kids feel comfortable telling someone they need help.

Cutting and other risky behaviors, such as teen drug use, are often symptoms of greater issues. Island View, an adolescent residential treatment center in Utah, can help by assessing your child's needs and then creating a treatment plan.

Labels: self-harm, cutting, affluence

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

When Autumn Hayes was getting ready to start seventh grade, her family moved to a new town where she had to attend a new school and make new friends. The pressure was too much and, not knowing of any other way to cope, she began cutting herself. School officials became aware of her actions and sent her to a week of residential treatment.

"At the treatment center, Autumn learned other ways of coping with stress. She began keeping a journal and listening to music by rock bands such as Linkin Park and Panic! at the Disco instead of cutting."

When her dad was dying of prostate cancer, he made her promise that she'd never cut again. His voice still rings in her memory and reminds her to seek healthy coping mechanisms. Now Autumn hopes to get involved in support groups and help other teens who are grieving or cutting.

A good residential treatment center, like Island View in Utah, can help assess a troubled teens needs and then create a solid treatment plan. Learn more at IslandView-rtc.com.

Labels: stress, treatment_programs, cutting

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A new study from Brown University found that 46% of teen report "self-injury." However, the study included not only cutting or burning oneself, but also getting a tattoo, pulling out hair, or picking at a sore until it bled.

•  
• Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson and her colleagues surveyed 633 high school students.
• Those who admitted to self-injury said that they did it to feel in control, to stop bad feelings or to get someone's attention.
•  
• Other studies have indicated that about 20% of girls and 17% of boys self-injure.
• This new study appears in the journal Psychological Medicine.

Need additional tips on how to help your child? ByParents-ForParents offer help for parents of troubled teens on a variety of topics including dating, cyberbullying and self-injury.

Labels: risky_behaviors, self-harm, cutting

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

"Self-embedding" is a form of teen self-harm in which teens injure themselves by forcing objects such as paper clips, staples and glass under the skin and into soft tissue. Other more widely known types of teen self-harm include cutting, burning and hair-pulling.

Between 13% and 24% of teenagers have histories of cutting themselves or self-embedding.

• Hospital radiologists are often the first to spot self-embedding , because they have to x-ray and locate the objects.
• Dr. William Schiels recently completed a new study of 600 pediatric patients who were being treated for embedded objects in their bodies at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The vast majority had been in accidents.
• However, nine girls and two boys, all teenagers, had 76 objects in their arms, ankles, feet, and hands that they had forced below their skin.
• Dr. Schiels said that self-embedding is not a suicidal act, but it can lead to dangerous infections. Teenagers with such behaviors should be evaluated by mental health professionals.

The study appears in the journal Radiology.
 

Labels: self-harm, cutting, embedding

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment