Help For Troubled Teens with Self harm Tendencies

Therapeutic boarding schools for troubled teens with self-harm tendencies

Therapeutic boarding schools are filled with troubled teens that come from different backgrounds and deal with various issues. While one teen may be dealing with depression and suicidal tendencies another may suffer from an eating disorder. One of the most common reasons why teens are sent to boys or girls boarding schools is because of self-harm.

According to Janette Davenport, licensed therapist at New Haven Residential Treatment Center, self-harm includes any behavior designed to provide relief from emotional pain through the self-inflicted physical pain. If your child demonstrates this type of behavior, it is important to get professional help to avoid the negative action from becoming an addiction.

There are many reasons that people struggle with self-harm. For the most part, these individuals have gone through some sort of trauma in the past including emotional or physical abuse, death or divorce. Others have weak coping skills or suffer from a mental disorder. A common form of self-harm includes cutting with various tools such as knives, razors or other sharp objects. Other types of self-harm include burning or bruising oneself as well as pulling hard, hitting or receiving multiple tattoos in an effort to inflict pain.

Therapists suggest that the best type of treatment for self-harm behaviors is helping the teen express and talk about their pain. Residential treatment programs such as Christian boarding schools can offer a safe place for your teen to not only talk about their pain but gain perspective and understanding of it. Since many people have trouble expressing themselves verbally, environments such as wilderness programs or therapy sessions where students are encouraged to write, draw or paint to release their pain are helpful and healthy forms of expression. In addition, these residential treatment programs teach teens new coping strategies to deal with emotional pain.