Pediatria pre prax 1/2017

Self-harm during childhood and adolescence

Deliberate self-harm and self-injury is an inappropriate and harmful way of coping with problems. This is a behavioral manifestation observed during childhood and adolescence. This involves superficial self-cutting, self-immolation, overdosing with medicines or other chemical substances, self-beating, self-strangulation, wound self-laceration, hair removal and others. Adolescents want to hurt themselves and stay alive. They hide the self-harm consequences, the process itself is more important than the result during which he experiences craving, arousal increase, its depletion and alleviation associated with the need of recurrence. The therapy makes use of the possibility of influencing serotonergic, dopaminergic and opioid receptors. Of importance is psychotherapy which combines the possibility of a parallel course of an individual or group psychotherapy, diary writing, possibility of contacting a therapist via a telephone in a crisis, and providing support for parents.

Keywords: deliberate self-harm, coping strategies, dissociation, craving