Roots Renewal Educates on Self-Harm in Teens

Roots Renewal Ranch, located in Argyle, Texas, is dedicated to helping teen girls find healing and recovery from many different challenges and life changes that can impact them as they grow. They recently released a blog addressing self-harm. Their goal is to help bring awareness and support to parents and teens alike to make recovery more transparent and accessible.

Roots starts off by presenting a stat regarding self-harm amongst teens, to help shed light on how truly serious this matter is. “The rates of major depressive episodes among adolescents, including instances of self-harm, have increased by 52% between 2005 and 2017 (from .1% to 13.2%) in Texas.” They want to stress how real of a concern this is and provide education on signs of self-harm and depression so parents can better know what to keep an eye out for to help keep their daughters happy and healthy.

The blog jumps in by making sure the definition of self-harm is clearly outlined. “Self-harm usually happens when a person doesn’t have healthy coping mechanisms in place. It’s when a person will physically hurt themselves to handle complicated, difficult feelings or situations. It’s what happens when someone doesn’t know what to do with a build-up of significant emotional discomfort.”

They then go on to stress that, “It’s rare for a mentally healthy teen to participate in self-harm. Once healthy coping strategies are identified and intense feelings are understood, the urge to hurt oneself dissipates. When depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders go untreated, a teen’s behavior doesn’t end in self-harm. It can often progress to reckless or self-sabotaging behavior, suicidal ideations, or suicide attempts.”

Roots Renewal knows that when most people think of self-harm, they might imagine specifically cutting themselves. In their blog they provide further, educational information about how vast self-harm can be and what other ways it can present itself. They list options such as kicking walls, pulling hair, burning herself, substance use, neglecting to eat, and excessive exercise. “Many acts of self-harm are difficult to recognize. You won’t always know if your daughter is hurting herself because she’ll likely do it in private. She may hide things like drinking and drug use or excessive exercise. A lack of evidence on her body, like scratches or cuts, does not mean she’s not hurting herself.”

The recovery center wants to stress to parents and teens that recovery is an option. They’re aware many parents might feel helpless or confused in the face of concerns for mental health and substance use as it can be a hard thing to see a loved one go through. In their article, they explain, “If you suspect that your teen is hurting herself, start with an open conversation. Express concern, avoid judgment, and practice active listening. Stay calm… Provide a safe environment for her to talk, and don’t shy away from the topic of self-harm. You can openly discuss the dangers of self-harm and remind her that you’re always available if she wants to talk. The last thing she needs is comments about how she should ‘just stop’, how wrong self-harm is, or that there’s something wrong with her. She’s likely already experiencing feelings of guilt and shame.”

The blog wraps up with another reassuring statement. “The best thing you can do for your daughter is to consider mental health treatment. There are evidence-based, effective therapies for teens who are participating in self-harm. The root cause of this behavior needs to be addressed so she can fully heal. Many teens fully recover from self-harm or mental distress.”

Roots Renewal Ranch has been helping families reconnect with their teen girls through therapy and skill-building. Their ranch is fully functional, allowing the girls to learn animal handling and care in peace – away from distractions. School is of utmost importance, and the girls staying at Roots participate in 2.5 hours of classwork per day. The rest of the day is dedicated to individual and group therapy, as well as activities such as camping and hiking.

For more information about Roots Renewal Ranch, contact them at 888-399-0489 or visit their website.