The Relationship Between Self Harm and Dependency in Teens

Many teenagers who suffer from destructive patterns of self harm and self injury also have developed drug or alcohol addictions. In fact, chemical dependency and self harm often share the same root causes—whether due to psychological or emotional pain, or a chemical imbalance in the body. Some teenagers combine drug and alcohol use with self injuring behaviors, while others engage in each expression of pain individually. For teens who are experiencing both self harm and chemical dependency, many holistic inpatient rehab facilities can treat both conditions simultaneously.

The Relationship Between Self Harm and Dependency in Teens

Many teens who engage in self injury have survived physical or emotional trauma in high intensity. In fact, one of the common factors in self injury is the presence of underlying untreated trauma. Ultimately, the inability to cope with sexual, physical or emotional abuse leads to intensely negative self-beliefs that are turned inward in an attempt to retain control or release pain. Many self harming teens find that causing themselves physical pain appears to be an effective option for coping with the emotional discomfort they feel. Self harm allows the illusion of a sense of control (over their body and pain levels) that they otherwise might not be able to feel in the wake of trauma.

Ultimately, studies show that teenagers who cut, brand, or otherwise self injure are more likely to drink alcohol than their non-injuring peers. Alcohol and drug use become an escape for buried and pressing emotional pain, as well as a way to avoid negative memories and feelings. In fact, overall, approximately 40 percent of self harming individuals also struggle with chemical dependency issues. By treating the underlying reasons for alcohol and drug use, the incidents, beliefs, and attitudes that fuel self injury can often be cured, as well.

In teens who are both alcohol dependent and causing self injury, over 90 percent test positive for depression. Chemical imbalances in the body can create mental depression that becomes expressed in physical acts of self harm. Self injury such as cutting becomes a way to deal with hopeless feelings of emotional pain, in much the same manner that many teens self-medicate with alcohol or drug abuse. For this reason, alcohol and drug recovery programs that seek to heal physical and psychological causes for addiction can also become effective for self harming behaviors.

Related posts:

1. Nicotine as a Gateway Drug
2. Sexual Abuse as a Root Cause for Dependency
3. The Relationship Between PTSD and Dependency
4. Chemical Dependency and the Teen Years
5. Alcohol Dependency in Seniors
6. Betrayal as a Root Cause of Dependency
7. The Prevalence of Physical Abuse in America
8. Unique Root Causes for Dependency in the LGBT Community
9. Child Neglect as a Root Cause for Chemical Dependency
10. Why Physical Abuse Can Lead to Dependency
11. Dependency as an Attempt at Emotional Balance
12. How to Stop Cutting or Self Injuring
13. Chemical Dependency Issues in the Transgender Community
14. Obscuring Emotional Pain With Dependency
15. Grief as an Emotional Root Cause to Dependency
16. Can Dependency Be Cured
17. The Role of Psychoanalysis in Chemical Dependency Recovery
18. Signs of Buried Emotional Pain
19. Mental Disorders Marked by Dependency
20. Symptoms of Cutting in Self Harming Individuals