Ahmad Dahlan University Bimawa Student Counseling Unit talk show entitled Self-Harm and Self-Love with Dr. Widea Rossi Desvita, Sp.KJ (Photo: Special)
Self-harm is the behavior of self-harm or as a person’s actions to injure oneself in various ways, usually done to overcome emotional mental stress or to channel emotional pain. Self-harm is an urgent condition that requires immediate intervention as it is a maladaptive coping method for dealing with stressful situations and fighting bad emotions that can lead to suicidal ideation.
Related to this, dr. Widea Rossi Desvita, Sp.KJ who is a lecturer at the UAD Faculty of Medicine as well as a psychiatrist at PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital Bantul, had the opportunity to become a speaker at the Student Counseling Unit Talkshow in the Field of Character Development and Welfare (PKK) for the Bureau of Student Affairs and Alumni (Bimawa) Ahmad Dahlan University (UAD). Taking up the theme “From Self-Harm to Self-Love”, the event was broadcast live on the BIMAWA UAD YouTube channel.
Widea started her presentation by explaining how dangerous action is self-harm if you keep doing it. “This condition is an urgent condition, it needs intervention because it is dangerous. It could be that at first you just wanted to hurt but after a while you could have ideas like suicide,” he said.
Forms of Self Harm Behavior
Self-harm or acts of self-harm can be done in various ways. Usually, the way that is done for self-harm can be cutting (deliberately injuring himself) by slicing himself, making scratches, slashing or injuring any part of his body with a sharp object, such as a knife, razor, or glass. There are other methods, such as burning, biting until it bleeds, punching until it bruises, scraping or scratching the skin until it bleeds, forcibly pulling hair, banging the head or other body parts against a wall until it bruises, and so on.
“Indeed, the ones who often come to the practice are those who cut their hands. But there are also those who then burn them with fire because they want to feel the sensation of heat there,” he explained.
Vulnerable Groups
Epidemiologically, Indonesia, according to YouGov Omnibus survey data in June 2019, showed that more than a third, equivalent to 36.9% of Indonesians, had intentionally injured themselves. From this percentage, the highest prevalence was found in the 18‒24 year age group. In this case, teenagers were found to be higher in behavior self-harm.
“This is appropriate because it is my patients who do it self-harm Most of the age range is between 18‒24 years,” he said.
According to Widea, teenagers are an age that is still unstable. Teenage children do not have experience dealing with life’s problems. So in dealing with existing problems, teenagers tend to take shortcuts that are temporary in nature, such as taking action self-harm. This can be influenced by many things, including the loss of role models, to the penetration of negative content on social media.
Besides teenagers, there are some high-risk people who are more likely to commit self-harm. They are the elderly, individuals with impaired immune function, and individuals with pre-existing medical, psychiatric, or substance use problems.
So, Why Does Someone Do Self-Harm?
Viewed from a psychological and neurobiological perspective, there are 4 reasons that underlie a person’s actions self-harm.
First, self-harm done to divert feelings of anger, anxiety, and depression. The effect is the doer self-harm will feel empty and numb.
Second, self-harm done to express pain that is difficult to convey to others or even deliberately avoid disclosure to others.
Thirdwhen someone harbors negative emotions such as sadness or anger, the part of the brain that functions as a center of consideration (prefrontal cortex) is hijacked by the instinctive brain (amygdala) giving rise to impulsive actions. When a person is experiencing high emotions, the amygdala hijacks the stimulus before it reaches it cortex (prefrontal cortex) so that an impulsive reaction arises by ignoring logic.
Fourth, when someone injures himself, it can trigger an increase in endorphins which have a joyful and pain-relieving effect. In addition, the hormone dopamine will also increase so that it can have the effect of excitement and challenge. This is what causes self-harm can be addictive (addictive) for the perpetrators.
Self-Harm Risk Factors
There are several factors that influence a person to take action self-harmamong which are as follows.
Factors from Within the Individual
This factor is related to the psychology and personality of a person. Psychological can be either depression or stress. While personality can be a feeling of loneliness, a high level of difficulty in responding to negative experiences, and low tolerance in dealing with problems.
Factors from Outside the Individual
This factor is related to the environment, both the family environment, friendship environment, to the surrounding environment. Environmental factors can be in the form of someone growing up in a chaotic family, lack of parental love, experiencing violence, poor communication, not being recognized, feeling belittled, excessive demands from people around them, and a toxic friendship environment.
How to Overcome Self-Harm?
Self-harm it can cause addictive effects for the perpetrator. However, there are ways that can be done to be able to gradually eliminate the desire to do self-harmamong which are as follows.
Talk to Closest Persons
Under these conditions, the perpetrator self-harm really need someone else. Talk to people who can give you a sense of comfort. If you have trouble finding the person, another way is to write down or record what you are feeling to create a relief effect.
Recognize Your Condition
It is very important to recognize what situations and conditions trigger someone to do something self-harm. Remove sharp objects or other objects that could or were used to injure yourself. When push self-harm arise, divert attention and leave the room to see another atmosphere.
“We need to care about our condition. If it is really threatening, avoid being alone, find friends, and get rid of objects that can harm us,” Widea explained.
Express Negative Emotions in a Non-Destructive Way
Some ways you can do this are crying, hitting the bed, slamming pillows, screaming (if the situation and conditions permit), tearing and crumpling paper, and pouring water over your body. These things are done to bring out negative emotions so they can be expressed without self-destruction.
Look for Alternative Substitutes
Instead of doing self-harmdo physical activities such as jogging on the spot, scribbling on anything on paper, writing, playing the guitar, listening to murotal/music or other relaxing activities.
Immediately Seek Professional Help
“Don’t hesitate to seek professional help. If you can’t hold it anymore, then see a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist,” he said.
Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists will carry out psychological and psychiatric examinations to be able to carry out comprehensive management. If necessary a psychiatrist will provide Psychopharmacology (drugs) to fix neurotransmitter in the brain that affect negative emotions.
Overcome Self-Harm with Self-Love and Self-Care
Self-love and self-care has an important role so that a person can maintain a good life for his physical and mental health. Self-care giving space to “run” (muhasabah) from all routines so that a person will have a healthy relationship with himself. Whereas, self-love or loving yourself means a sincere feeling of accepting everything you have. In general, self-love is about self-acceptance, self-mastery, and self-respect. This is what will be the strength in moving through life so that life will be peaceful, happy, and beneficial.
Get rid of the thought of doing self-harm or even change the action self-harm with self-love of course not something easy. There needs to be support from a conducive and supportive environment. “The process is not as easy as turning the palm of the hand, but not something that is impossible. That is, it takes awareness that this is detrimental behavior, it needs support from the surrounding environment. So of course the process requires intention, the process takes time, so how long does it take? It does vary, “explained Widea.
Furthermore, the moment of Ramadan fasting is the right time to start implementing self-love. Fasting is known to increase brain hormones, namely BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) which can provide protection to the brain from various damages and maintain its health. “Because one of the good effects of fasting according to research, it will increase good protein or BDNF in our brains where this BDNF will increase neuroplastisitas thus making us more resistant to stress and making our brains healthier,” he added.
The satisfaction that comes from doing self-harm only temporary. Many of the perpetrators self-harm who later regretted his actions at a later date. Whereas self-love and self-care prolonged in nature. This activity can create new positive habits that can improve the quality of life for a long time.
“So friends, love ourselves. Self-defeating, self-injuring actions are not a good thing to use in facing life’s trials. It is not a final solution or a complete solution to the difficulties of the life tests we face. Therefore, friends, to be able to love yourself, keep learning because life is a lesson without end. By learning, we will always raise our self-level, raise our thinking level, increase capacity, so that we can become strong human beings because life is indeed a test. The test is meaningless after we learn that there is a very extraordinary purpose in life that we will find and make it our strength to live this life well. Be a good human being, be a happy human being, and of course be a useful human being, “he concluded. (Lid)
uad.ac.id
2023-05-29 00:39:03
#SelfHarm #SelfLove #Schmu #News
