Self-Harm Or Desire For Self-Harm And How To Overcome It

Ilustrasi Self-Harm (Pixabay/Pexels)

JAKARTA - Self-harm is an act that is considered as an alternative way of solving problems. This action can occur impulsively with the intention not to hurt oneself, but to eliminate the feeling that is the reason for the action.

The nature of the action can be suicidal or non-suicidal, be it physically or have thoughts of ending life. However, of course, self-harm is not the right behavior. A person's decision to take this action is carried out not rationally, but emotionally.

Reporting from the HerWorld page, Thursday, February 4, a psychiatrist, Dr. Jiemi Ardian, Sp.KJ, said that when someone does this action, he actually wants to turn the pain that is felt emotionally into a real physical form.

The channeling of pain after cutting, head banging, or hitting the chest makes a person feel relieved as if the problem is resolved.

Actually, that action is a form of refusal to acknowledge and face the conditions that are actually being experienced. This self-harm behavior can increase in intensity with emotional feelings.

Initially, the perpetrator can hurt himself starting from small things, such as snapping rubber on the wrist, to large scale such as slashing the body with a sharp object.

What you can do to overcome self-harm is to give yourself a moment to feel, acknowledge, and recognize the emotions that are being felt, whether they are joy, sadness, anger, fear, or disappointment.

After that, get to know the deeper feelings by answering what you need and doing it with compassion. It is also important to realize that there will always be difficult times in life, so the compassion for oneself must be greater, especially in the current pandemic situation.

If this action happens to someone closest to you, you can't control it. However, it can be helped by not leaving the person alone.

Try to always keep in touch and invite family members or those closest to them to work together as a way to show concern. And always ready to listen when they are ready to talk.