School gives AS girl razor deliberately to self-harm

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I've got no time for cutting/self-harming full stop

It's self-indulgent and wrong as it's harmful to a person's body

If people weren't indulged in doing it they might do it less

As it is, a whole culture has grown around it making it almost 'cool' to self-harm, just as for anorexia
with the pro-ana sites

Nothing good can come of encouraging or indulging self-harmers in my opinion

This girl's experience is where it's all ended up

I can relate to people who want to commit suicide as they can't cope with life but self-harming seems
pointless to me. It seems to be a form of attention-seeking and it needs to be discouraged.

The one thing I've been wondering about a lot since reading the article is: what's the fastest and safest working alternative to that scenario that people not involved in the actual case would agree with or at least be more comfortable with?

There are people who attempt suicide and then change their minds, or do it as a cry for help because they hope someone will find them. I've heard of people taking paracetamol overdoses and then changing their minds and when they are taken to hospital, it's too late once it's in their system and they have a horrible, painful death.

Speaking as someone with a history or self-harm: whilst I agree that it's quite a complex thing, the school weren't acting in her best interests by giving her a razor blade. You shouldn't really encourage or (strongly) discourage self-harm, imo, it works better to encourage people to seek help for it - whether it's help in stopping or help with dressing wounds, or whatever. I sought help with stopping when I wanted to stop.

I find this extremely appalling for many reasons, 1: the possibility of suicide is extremely high, and that clearly outweighs any reasons that the school, and parent, may have had to allow this. 2: the standard approach to dealing with a person who has self harm tendencies is to disallow them from self harming to begin with, this is usually so that the person doesn't get too far with it and commit suicide if the pain gets to be too much to handle (not physical pain, mind you).

If I had been the administrator/principle/whatever at that school, I would've flat out told the parent that " as a school, we cannot condone actions of self harm, whatever the reason may be" and that would've been that.

I think that everyone involved in the school should be fired, and not be allowed to work in positions to where they could influence kids. In fact I'm surprised that the mother of the kid has not been brought up on charges.

It's stuff like this that is starting to get me to realize that people no longer give a crap about people with AS.
This should never have been allowed to ever happen within a school.

As long as it was sterile, I don't see anything wrong with it.

The problem I see is that they weren't even trying to address the underlying issues behind the self-harming.

If you look at it from a genetic NT genes vs Autistic genes basis it makes sense

I think this dynamic often underlies the lax, uncaring attitude towards people with ASDs - we are effectively a different race/species
and in the eyes of many NTs/others an inferior one

This explains even the mother's attitude

I bet she wouldn't have agreed to that setup if it had been an NT child

I bet the child wouldn't have been self-harming in the first place if it had been NT though, as they would probably have been receiving the love and attention they needed

If you have the standard set of genes you will be afforded more respect and support by society than if you don't - that's what
I take from situations like this

The majority genetic type protects it's own and people who are different are generally afforded less attention, less respect and less protection

This happens subconsciously a lot of the time

I am not a cutter or into self harm either. However i do have friends that suffer from different disorders and mental illness that of which cause self harm and cutting.
Due to the internet a variety of sites crop up everywhere. However most do not think Anorexia or self harm is "cool".
Some who aren't right in the head might. Perhaps they have their own issues who are we judge them?

I am not for people hurting themselves, however some of them act out of compulsions. This happens with cutters and pickers.
Like i said, i have friends who are diagnosed Borderline and cut.

Self Indulgent??? How can you say they are that? They have compulsory issues sometimes and the picking is an actual disorder along with cutting. They can't help themselves so they are in a way a slave to themselves. (i mean no offense in that term)

As for your mentioning of Anorexia and pro-ana sites, why were you looking them up? Out of curiousity...
At one point in time i was diagnosed Atypical Anorexic as they couldn't categorize me i didn't eat yet i did when i wanted to, like once a day and it was fast food like wendys have me a couple burgers. (seriously).

However most people with eating disorders insist it is about losing weight and cannot get past that point. Eating disorders are just another type of addiction or way to "vent" or deal with stress. On inpatient eating wards i have noticed it is hard for most all females to get past the part where they realize the behavior is to deal with stressers, and they get stuck thinking it's still about losing weight although they are already super thin.
Some may suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder which is a whole thing altogether.

Yet the society we live in reinforces such crap that all women should be super thin like models, which is ridiculous. Society is what reinforces eating disorders on a regular basis by throwing skinny women and models at those who watch tv left and right.

IMO, to call these people self indulgent is wrong, as many cannot help themselves. It makes you sound self righteous

I cured myself, the inpatient didn't help the 2 times i was there however i was able to observe a lot and learn. I just wish that those who are suffering could see and be able to help themselves as i did. Then again i was never a typical case of anorexia.

Some people are dealing with various different issues and mental illnesses and they are stuck with compulsory actions. That it may be self harm is sad, and yes they do need to get help. I have had atypical anorexia, and have friends who are cutters/pickers and in no way would i judge them.

Call me self-righteous if you like but I see all this cutting/anorexia/whatever else is the latest fad thing to do rather self indulgent. It's rarely quiet people who do it; it's attention seekers and people who are desperate to conform.

It's not a fad. Self-injury in some form can be observed in practically all vertebrate species during times of stress, and is especially prevalent in mammals. Psychologically-related anorexia is also present in non-human animals. So it is not a new thing. Quite the opposite. The only "fad" element of it is the specific form of self-injury--modern times, we see anorexia due to a "thin ideal", or cutting because of the availability of sharp cutting tools. (By the way: I started self-injuring long before I knew anyone else ever did it, so it was not a socially transmitted thing in my case.) In the past you might have seen anorexia in someone who idealized ascetics. Self-injury in animals can be in the form of over-grooming, biting, banging head or limbs against surfaces... etc. Just like with humans. The only difference is that we are tool-users and we may apply that to self-injury.

The solution for self-injury is to find out why the person is doing it and find a better way.

Giving a person a razor blade would not be a good idea; as many people have said here, that reinforces the idea that self-injury is a good way to deal with whatever they're using it to deal with. But I would be all for providing band-aids and antiseptic and a safe way to get treatment for anything that needed more than that. Self-injury isn't a huge problem by itself--but it's an indicator that there is a problem of some sort that needs to be dealt with.

In fact, a razor blade is probably an unsafe thing to use--well, as unsafe as self-injury gets in an age of antibiotics and antiseptics--because it is sharp enough to cut rather than scratch. You can end up needing stitches or cutting tendons or nerves, if you slip. This doesn't happen too often, but it can. It is better to use a tool that will cause scratches rather than cuts.

And, no, it is not "done for attention". The vast majority of people who self-injure or have eating disorders will keep their activities very private for years at a time until either they seek help or the problem resolves itself in some other way. Once in a while, someone will use it for attention, but for every person who does that, there are probably hundreds who are ashamed, keeping it secret, wearing long sleeves or bulky clothes, pretending to eat or pretending their cat has scratched them. I first practiced deliberate self-injury when I was about six years old. The first time I ever told anyone, I was nineteen. I still cover up all injuries until they are healed, and the only reason I will openly discuss it is that I refuse to be ashamed of having a mental illness, and will discuss it for the same reasons that I am open about having depression and autism.

To call it "a fad" done "for attention" is really dismissive and disempowering to people who are often quite vulnerable to abuse to begin with. These people are coping as best they can and they don't deserve to be pushed down on top of whatever else they're already dealing with.

Last edited by Callista on 31 Mar 2013, 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Self-harm wasn't anything I was aware of when I was at school in the late 70's and 80's

It has definitely grown in popularity over the last thirty years

Its been popularised by Emo and Goth culture in my opinion

I'm not the only person to notice it's become 'cool' either:-

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/in ... 720AAMrO02

http://selfharm-teen-help.webs.com/

Why do you think that was? Nobody talked about it back then. Nobody talked about lots of things.

Grown in awareness. Not popularity.

Or maybe they were just the first to talk openly about it?

So there are people who are actually talking about it now, acknowledging its existence. This is a good thing.

For some historical context.
The History and Mentality of Self-Mutilation


Timeline: Self-Mutilation in History


"The case of Miss A: A preliminary report of a psychoanalysis study and treatment of a case of self-mutilation" (1913)


This is not a fad; the only thing that has changed is that we are more willing to talk about it now.

Wow that's extremely ignorant of you to say. I don't even want to bother explaining anything to your self righteous self obviously you just have no compassion for people who suffer various mental illnesses that your mind rationalizes away with your own excuses at what you don't understand.

I have met many different people on inpatient wards and not all are attention seekers or those desperate to conform, usually it's the opposite.
I don't know where or what information you get to make such ill guided opinions about these people who you don't even know personally.

I take personal offense to your statement as i'm sure you directed it at me since i mentioned i was once anorexic. It's small minded people that base their opinions on religious beliefs of a majority which to me is conformity at it's worst.

As for the few who claim anorexia or cutting as a fad, that is no different than those taking aspergers and making it into a fad.
I'm sure some people do it.

You don't rationalize that these "fads" are not fads they are actual disorders people are suffering from. The few that seek attention from attempting to turn them into fads somewhere are the odd case out. I don't research anorexia or cutting on the internet, so i honestly don't know about fad sites, however for everything there seems to be a "fad" for it on the internet, as with the example of aspergers.

It's the internet. Sometimes people start fads.

The thing is Anorexia and Cutting/Picking Disorders are legit disorders in the DSM-V coming out May.
What i don't understand is if you call yourself a christian, why don't you show compassion for others?
I have Christian friends who are very understanding and not judgemental at all.

Personally, i am an athiest. However i see you being hypocritical of your own beliefs as i was told christians are not supposed to judge others. What do you hate gays too? Good Lord!

I am trying to find why you do not have sympathy for those who are suffering from disorders they are afflicted with that are legit including Anorexia and Cutting/Picking etc. No you aren't going to find all anorexics begging for attention online as they have no internet access on inpatient wards sometimes. Why you have come to such a conclusion about that and cutting seems to be from having seen "fad" sites put up by depraved individuals so you decide to lump everyone together and judge them?

Attention seekers will always seek attention. I don't understand how you think disorders are a fad still.. these have been disorders for decades.

If it is the case you lack understanding of them and have made a bias judgement due to personal reasons (maybe hits too close to home thus you have extreme dislike as opposed to indifference).

You are no one to judge others so harshly when they are suffering. You call yourself a christian?? ugh and i am atheist yet they have my sympathy and understanding. Hypocritzy at its finest

Wow!

I am allowed to have my own opinions on things and it's nothing to do with being Christian or not

I just do not think self-harming or extreme dieting is a very intelligent way of dealing with stress/societal pressure/whatever is causing it

I have a hell of a lot of societal pressure on me but I don't self-harm or diet to excess - I over-eat and I get judged for that and I have to deal with it as I bought it on myself

I generally try and deal with my problems in a more practical, less harmful manner if I can

Trying to starve yourself or harm yourself by cutting etc is just not an intelligent thing to do and I don't care how many centuries it's been going on it's not a good choice of action

I get judged all the time for not being very attractive - if anyone was a prime candidate to be an alcoholic/drug addict/self-harmer or anorexic it would be me So how have I managed not to become one?

Perhaps because I've developed better coping methods or have stronger willpower

Either way I pride myself on not going down the other routes and I'm afraid I do judge those that do to a certain extent

I'm not saying these people don't deserve sympathy, what I don't think they need is people acting as if their behaviour isn't foolhardy in the extreme, which it is

I'd say there's far more compassion involved in not wanting these people to harm or starve themselves than trying to normalise it by saying 'It's ok, it's very common to do this, join our club' How on earth is that going to dissuade them from doing it??

I'm not sure intelligence comes into it. Self harming is self destructive. It's what happens when you start to view yourself as having no value. It's a very dangerous path and I think it does lead to suicide attempts; or, at least, it did for me.
When someone starts physically turning against themselves it is a sign that something is very wrong and the person should be helped to recover.