Self-Harm in Australia
This is a serious shame:
TEENAGE girls are more likely to be admitted to hospital for overdoses, slashed limbs or other forms of deliberate self-harm than for any other type of injury, including road accidents.
The alarming development, revealed in new national figures, illustrate the effects of intense academic pressure, changing family dynamics and rising drug and alcohol use, experts say.
The rate of self-harm among girls aged 13 to 19 has risen by one-third in the past eight years, moving in the opposite direction to the improved suicide rate, analysis from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows. For every 100,000 girls in that age group, 300 were admitted to hospital after harming themselves last year, compared with 100 boys, the institute’s report, Making Progress, says.
It makes intuitive sense to me that self-harm is more popular among girls than boys, though I don’t know why I feel that way. I’ve just never met a boy or man who does that, while I’ve met many women (including myself) who do. What is it about the female brain/mind (to continue an earlier conversation) or socialization (to continue a decades-old conversation) that compels women to do this? Or is it just more reporting?
Self-harm increasing at alarming rate among girls
liz | 2:59 PM | Uncategorized
Isn’t it true that when it comes to suicide, men choose a method more likely to “succeed”, like using a gun; whereas, women use methods that tend to fail: slashing wrists, drug overdoses, etc.?
It’s not manly to scream for help. Man hit, maim, kill before anything else. Others must share our pain. Main are vain and others must die.
I’m thinking of buying a helmet ’cause my skull is starting to show signs of stress.
I’ve spent many years mutilating myself. I’ve also tried to take myself out, almost succeeding, a few times. Years ago, I had an AOL account, so I used to go to “Mental Health” chat rooms.
I went there in order to talk to young women or men, who were traveling the path of self-injury. I wanted to try and help them. To stop them from turning into some one like myself.
What I found was that many of the young women that I “talked” to were high achievers. They were “A” students, cheerleaders and honour students. They were their parents’ dream.
They cut themselves because it was the one thing that they had “control” of. It was a private ritual, that only they knew of. I remember being on-line with a young woman, and her replying to me: “weeping, cutting, bleeding, better”.
Christ, I so felt for her. My arms and legs are a constant reminder of the terrible wounds I gave myself. Fat scars, ribbons of sewn up slices, massive burns and tattoos of more burns have laid waste to my skin.
I’d love to take my arms and legs on a tour, for kids in High School. To show them that this shit stays. I cannot be around anyone who doesn’t know me, unless I where a long-sleeved shirt.
In part, I hide my scars, because I don’t want to make the people who ask embarrassed. My friends’ father wondered if I’d been burned by a frying pan, when he glommed onto a few fat scars.
I started out in High School, just scratching away with nail scissors. But I’m not sure how or why, I learned of deeper wounding: I became slightly competitive.
By the time I left home at sixteen, for college, it was part of me. I was fine until the last year or so. I’d show up for Christmas, a fabulous wig covering my shaved head. Gauze wrapped my wrists, which I claimed were sprained.
My parents were thrilled that I’d lost so much weight, which was fantastic for them. But the fact that I smelled “like a goat” (patchouli) and dressed in black was upsetting and confusing to them.
My sister had come back from UCBerkley, all sorts of hippie. She gave me a joint that holiday, which my father, my sister and I smoked, while my mum was off nipping at her love, alcohol.
Never once was the fact that my wrists were in gauze addressed. I got out of washing up, because my wrists were “sprained”. I am not sure why this was not an issue.
I could drivel on and on about my crap, but that’s not important. There are young women and men who are choosing their bodies to express their sense of:
*Alienation
*Lack of parental love and acceptance
*Low self-esteem
*Lack of/feelings of no self-control
*Self-hatred
*Shame
*Guilt
*Anger
*Frustration
And Crikey, I could go on and on. I also believe that the list I wrote applies to the “most popular” kids as much, if not more to those on the sidelines.
Oddly enough, statistically speaking women are much more successful when it comes to suicide. I think your relying too much on stereotypes here as well. I’ve cut open my leg and I’m male.
I think socialization has a lot to do with it. Men are taught to turn their anger outward and women inward.
I’ve never been a cutter, nor know any guys who do cut.
I’ve been suicidal off and on for many years – including only just recently – but the most harm I ever caused myself was several years ago. Back then, I suffered from persistant and overpowering dizziness/vertigo. I couldn’t even get out of my bed and make it to the bathroom without stumbling. My attempted cure was either hitting my head with a closed fist or smacking my head against the wall in my house to make the dizziness evaporate. Eventually, with talk and med therapy, about 95% of the dizziness did go away – some is still present.
Dennis
At least in Australia, according to the articule, they will actually hospitalize someone for self-injury. I attempted to sign myself into a hospital here in Philly, due to out of control self-injury– and I was denied admission.
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