If you’re suffering from self-harm, you’re not alone. Harbor Oaks Hospital is here to help. We specialize in treatment proven to help those with self-harm concerns.
Adolescent Self-Harm Treatment
Learn more about adolescent self-harm treatment at Harbor Oaks Hospital in New Baltimore, Michigan
Children and adolescents face countless challenges as they travel through different developmental stages. Some young people possess strong support systems and benefit from the presence of healthy coping skills. Other youth, however, are denied such benefits. When these children and adolescents are confronted with situations that bring about emotional turmoil and inner distress, they often fail to find an appropriate way to cope. In such cases, these young people often turn to alternative means of quieting their distress and those alternatives sometimes lay in the engagement of self-harming behaviors. Once such behaviors have begun, it can be extremely difficult for young people to stop them without professional help. At Harbor Oaks Hospital, a leading hospital for adolescent self-harm treatment in New Baltimore, we recognize the sensitive nature that surrounds a child or adolescent’s compulsion to self-harm and have therefore created specialized treatment that is designed to meet the needs of these young people and help them develop the tools and skills necessary for overcoming their devastating habit. Our caring and compassionate staff is well-trained in helping youth come to understand the underlying reasons behind why these behaviors began and then compassionately work with them so that they can heal and discover a brighter and happier future.
How to Help a Loved One
Helping a loved one get treatment for adolescent self-harm
The heartbreak parents and caregivers feel when their child is partaking in self-harming behaviors can be monumental. It can be difficult to come to terms with the fact that a child has begun this destructive pattern of behaviors, and so it can be easy to fall into a state of denial. However, the first step in helping your son or daughter overcome his or her problematic behaviors is to confront the issue head on. Keep the following in mind:
- Educate yourself on the different signs that may indicate that self-harming behaviors exist. Because such actions usually take place in private, it is imperative that you come to understand what outward signs may be present.
- Talk to your child. Allow him or her to have a safe place to discuss what he or she is going through and try to be sympathetic. Refrain from lecturing your child because this will likely only result in him or her becoming defensive and ultimately worsen the behavior.
- Create a safety plan with your child. Talk with him or her about alternative things that he or she can do, with your help, when the compulsion to self-injure arises.
- If you are unsure where to start in the treatment-seeking process, consult with a mental health professional who can provide you with invaluable information about treatment and referrals for care specifically catered to young people.
- Research treatment providers that offer specialized treatment for youth.
- Once your child has become engaged in treatment, be an active part of his or her therapeutic process. Your support and encouragement is crucial to aiding in your child’s healing process.
- Recognize that recovery is not something that will happen overnight. Prepare yourself for setbacks along the way, and remain a constant source of hope for your child.
Why Consider Treatment
Why consider treatment for adolescent self-harm at Harbor Oaks Hospital in New Baltimore, Michigan
The presence of self-harming behaviors can wreak havoc on a child or adolescent’s life. When youth are denied the ability to receive treatment, the lasting effects of their behaviors can be significant. Young people who struggle with self-injurious behaviors often feel extreme shame and guilt, which leads to an ever-decreasing sense of self-worth. As their self-esteem drops, they will become more and more isolated, alienating friends and family members. Furthermore, youth who engage in these behaviors are inevitably putting themselves at risk for experiencing detrimental complications to their health. With the proper therapeutic interventions, however, these young people can learn how to manage their inner turmoil and develop healthy, appropriate coping skills.
Types of Treatment
Types of adolescent self-harm treatment offered at Harbor Oaks Hospital in New Baltimore, Michigan
Harbor Oaks Hospital, an exemplary adolescent self-harm treatment center in New Baltimore, is pleased to offer a number of treatment options designed to help children and adolescents realize their capacity to change and overcome the mental health concerns that plague them. As an acute care treatment center, we employ a number of therapeutic interventions that fulfill our mission to provide holistic treatment that cares for the whole person. The treatment featured at our treatment center incorporates didactic behavioral therapy, The Hazelden Curriculum, the 12-step model for care, and motivational interviewing into the techniques woven into the therapeutic experience. Our caring staff administers this treatment with the utmost compassion and respect for all who are entrusted into our care so that true healing and recovery from self-harm can be achieved.
At our treatment center, we operate under the unified goal of providing each patient with individualized care for the presence of self-injurious behaviors so that the most favorable treatment outcomes are the result. In order to achieve this goal, we supply the following treatment methods, which have proven effectiveness in improving the lives of young people who struggle with the compulsion to self-harm:
Medication management: For many mental health conditions, such as depressive disorders, pharmaceutical intervention is necessary in order to alleviate the severe symptoms of such illnesses. Individuals engaged in our hospital’s innovative treatment can meet with one of our onsite psychiatrists who can determine if medication is needed, monitor an individual once a medication regimen has begun, and make adjustments to any medication prescribed so as to garner the most favorable outcomes for each patient.
Individual therapy: In some instances, certain psychotropic medications may be implemented as one aspect of a patient’s overall treatment plan in order to assist in alleviating the distressing symptoms of mental health conditions that may have led to the onset of self-harming behaviors. The need and implementation of such medications, however, is determined on a case-by-case basis. Individuals engaged in our hospital’s innovative treatment can meet with one of our onsite psychiatrists who can determine if medication is needed, monitor an individual once a medication regimen has begun, and make adjustments to any medication prescribed so as to garner the most favorable outcomes for each patient.
Group therapy: Therapy administered in a group format is an integral part of the treatment offered at our hospital. These groups are led by qualified mental health professionals and allow patients to find additional support from others who have endured similar struggles. The following topics are covered in the myriad of groups offered at our adolescent self-harm treatment center:
- Medication education
- The importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- Mental illness education
- Substance abuse education
- DBT-informed skills
- Alcoholic Anonymous
- Narcotics Anonymous
Family meetings and education: At our treatment center, we believe that family support and involvement can increase a person’s chances for achieving lasting healing and recovery from self-mutilation and other symptoms synonymous with various mental health conditions. Because of this belief, we facilitate family meetings between patients and their families to discuss the therapeutic process, discharge planning, and methods for improving relationships within the family unit. We also supply education opportunities for family members so that those closest to our patients can learn more about mental health disorders and addiction.
Activity therapy: Depending on the treatment, patients at our hospital for adolescent self-harm can engage in a wide variety of activity therapies. These therapies are implemented into a patient’s treatment in order to meet the varying needs of those entrusted into our care. The following activity therapies are those that are featured within our programming:
- Art therapy
- Gym
An individualized treatment plan is created for each and every child or adolescent who receives treatment at our treatment center. The previously mentioned therapies may or may not be part of a patient’s care as these plans are tailored to meet the specific and unique needs of those who partake in the exceptional treatment offered at our hospital.
Continuing Care
Continuing care and levels of treatment for adolescent self-harm
In order to ensure that our patients are successful after completing inpatient treatment, the staff at our adolescent self-harm treatment center begins discharge planning from the moment an individual embarks on the therapeutic process. These plans can include safety plans and referrals for services so that any positive strides made while at our hospital are continued and built upon.
At our treatment center, we conduct an ongoing assessment of each patient’s needs in order to determine the most appropriate course of action once a person completes a level of care. Regardless of the program, we diligently work to ensure that every patient will receive the all-encompassing care needed to continue the healing and recovery process. In order to achieve this mission, our hospital supplies a less intensive treatment option for children and adolescents. Our mental health partial hospitalization program is designed to meet the needs of those youth who do not require or no longer need the stabilization offered in an inpatient treatment setting.
If your child is in need of specialized care that is geared towards helping young people live happy, healthy lives, let our treatment center be your preferred provider of superior behavioral healthcare.