Self-Harm Awareness Month: Let’s Help Save the Lives of Our Heroes
March is Self-Harm Awareness Month. It’s the time to erase the stigma that self-injury brings and encourage your friends, family, and community to be informed and be conscious of the signs and effects of self-harm in every individual.
What Does Self-Harm Mean?
Self-harm is defined as intentionally inflicting a wound on the person’s own body that isn’t usually meant to result in suicide. It’s usually exhibited by cutting oneself with sharp objects, excessive scratching to the point of bleeding, self-hitting, head banging, burning one’s own skin, and other activities that would lead to injury.
Over 2 million cases of self-mutilation are reported in the United States every year. This alarming number serves as an eye-opener that self-harm should not be taken lightly. It’s not merely a form of attention-seeking behavior; in fact, it is something that if left untreated may lead to suicidal tendencies.
This condition is most common among adolescents and young adults, although it can affect people of all ages. They tend to turn to this behavior as a coping mechanism, thinking that the pain on the outside is much easier to deal with than what they are feeling inside. Studies have found that most people who inflict harm to themselves are usually those who are suffering from depression or substance-abuse problems.
What are the Signs of Self-Harm?
Self-harm is difficult to detect since most people who engage in this act typically hide it from others because they are afraid of being judged by them. As a result, they retreat further into isolation.
The purpose of Self-Harm Awareness Month is to promote awareness and knowledge about the repercussions of self-injury by recognizing the signs so that it can be treated before it develops into something more dangerous. Here are the common signs to watch out for when you suspect someone is inflicting harm on himself:
- Isolating oneself from the crowd and refusing to engage in any activities they once enjoyed.
- Wearing clothes that are not fit for the weather (i.e. wearing long sleeves and coats on a particularly warm and sunny day)
- Making up excuses for how they got a particular wound that doesn’t seem to match up from time to time.
- Constantly finding some razors or any sharp objects and bloodied tissues in the trash.
When you do see these signs on someone you love, it’s important to remember to face this situation calmly and open-mindedly.
Veterans and Self-Harm
Our veterans are particularly at risk of turning to self-harm for relief. With the atrocious memories of the battles they have fought, it’s common for many of them to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression.
In fact, a study by Nathan Kimbrel in 2014 reported that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have a history of self-injury and are more likely to progress to suicide attempts. Without proper treatment, people showing tell-tale signs of self-harm could be tempted to do something worse than merely making a superficial cut on their skin.
To raise awareness of this psychological disorder and help save the lives of our veterans, Veteran Car Donations needs your support. Even a simple act of donating an old car can help us go a long way in providing assistance and proper mental health care to our ex-servicemen.
You Can Do Something That Would Help Our Heroes Today!
Make this year’s Self-Harm Awareness Month different from the previous ones by donating your old car for the benefit of our nation’s heroes. If you’re interested in making a generous car donation, feel free to contact us at Veteran Car Donations anytime at 877-594-5822 and we will have our friendly staff walk you through the process.