Should people who engage in self harm be hospitalized? -

[MW 002]

So I figured with all the mental health topics floating around, mayhaps we can have an actual discussion on self harm? And should people who intentionally hurt themselves regardless of whether it's cutting, ODing, burning, scratching, eating disorder and whatnot be forced to stay in a psychiatric unit for a minimum amount of time- why or why not?

Discuss.

 

[Cheap Sandals]

In theory yes, I think everyone who self mutilates should be institutionalized. In practice no, because the mental health system in any country would be massively overwhelmed if society ever decided that mental health is a real priority.

 

[AnOminous]

So I figured with all the mental health topics floating around, mayhaps we can have an actual discussion on self harm? And should people who intentionally hurt themselves regardless of whether it's cutting, ODing, burning, scratching, eating disorder and whatnot be forced to stay in a psychiatric unit for a minimum amount of time- why or why not?

Discuss.

People should be allowed to perpetrate any awfulness they want on their own bodies, because if you own nothing else, you own yourself. Part of yourself is your body. You have the right to wreck it in any way you care to.

 

[Cheap Sandals]

Define self harm. Are you including HAES fuckers? Are they doing intentional self harm? Should we lock them up? (Yes.)

 

[pozilei]

I'd have to say No. Like @AnOminous said, it's their body and they can do with it what they want. Furthermore, it seems really tricky to define what constitutes as self-harm? I know that having a can of beer right now isn't exactly the most healthy choice of drink I could make. Am I harming myself with it though? Probably less than someone who starves themselves or slices up their own arm. But where would we draw the line?

Having said that, if someone is on the verge of ending up dead because of their behaviour - yes, hospitalization should be an option.

 

[The Giver]

Honestly, I have some reservations about thinking about these sorts of folks as "mentally ill", even if in practice most of them are. I'm not sure anyone has a right to tell you what you can/can't do to your own body. Moreover, I think we probably have a right to suicide; I think part of being a free being is having the right to "opt out" so to speak.

That said, in practice a lot of these folks aren't behaving in any sort of rational way, and I wish that they had some free, easy way to get help. But I also think that it is impossible to correct these sorts of problems in most cases unless the person in question wants help.

 

[talk talk talk]

Tumblr's a kind of hospital, isn't it?

 

[UrbanDecayLover]

I agree they should. Even if they own their own body, they shouldn't be hurting themselves. They are important. they have worth, and they need help.

 

[SU 390]

It depends if they want to be hospitalized or not. Not for nothing, if a person wants to opt out of living unless there's a very good reason things will get better for them, it shouldn't be a deterrent. But if they are suffering major mental health issues, they should be hospitalized to get better.

 

[MW 002]

It depends if they want to be hospitalized or not. Not for nothing, if a person wants to opt out of living unless there's a very good reason things will get better for them, it shouldn't be a deterrent. But if they are suffering major mental health issues, they should be hospitalized to get better.

I'm a pretty firm believer in that self harm usually does signal a more serious illness- bipolar and borderline personality disorder being among some of the most common, although I've known autistics who do it as a means to cry for help.

On one hand, I do agree that it is their own body and that they are free to do as they choose- but the moment you are threatening your own life, I think hospitalization should be mandatory; sometimes it provides enough of a wake up call to people that self harm isn't healthy.

 

[ERROR_ENTRY]

People who self-harm don't deserve sympathy or a happy life. Nobody should give a shit about them

Easy to say when you've never been in a situation that'd cause you to do something drastic like that.

 

[Innocuous Banter]

Easy to say when you've never been in a situation that'd cause you to do something drastic like that.

Everyone deals with fucked up stuff in life, don't be a whiner. You tough it out and make your situation better. You also don't tell people on a site like kf about your mental ass

 

[ERROR_ENTRY]

Everyone deals with fucked up stuff in life, don't be a whiner. You tough it out and make your situation better

That's easy when you have a support network or a good family situation. Unfortunately not everyone has this, its tough to understand when you don't come from a really bad background. You don't understand until you experience it.

 

[Innocuous Banter]

That's easy when you have a support network or a good family situation. Unfortunately not everyone has this, its tough to understand when you don't come from a really bad background. You don't understand until you experience it.

I haven't always had a good family situation or support network. I was by myself for awhile, away from my home and starving most of the time and without anybody I knew to help me. I had nothing and my parents wouldn't speak with me. I didn't even have many clothes or a way to wash them half of the time. I never cut myself or cried about my shitty situation. There was no point, I had nobody to get sympathy from except strangers, and that's just a fucking embarrassing thing to do. I walked to get where I needed to go (Still do) most of the time and I did it knowing that it would get better. Now I have everything I ever wanted or needed and my parents and I are happy

I know about all of that shit you're talking about, so quit acting like I'm privileged or some stupid shit

 

[ERROR_ENTRY]

I haven't always had a good family situation or support network. I was by myself for awhile, away from my home and starving most of the time and without anybody I knew to help me. I had nothing and my parents wouldn't speak with me. I didn't even have many clothes or a way to wash them half of the time. I never cut myself or cried about my shitty situation. There was no point, I had nobody to get sympathy from except strangers, and that's just a fucking embarrassing thing to do. I walked to get where I needed to go (Still do) most of the time and I did it knowing that it would get better. Now I have everything I ever wanted or needed and my parents and I are happy

I know about all of that shit you're talking about, so quit acting like I'm privileged or some stupid shit

Fair enough, you've had some tough times but that's solely your situation; don't assume how other's are getting on in life (or how they should deal with it). Life is too complex for that. Posting 'People who self-harm don't deserve sympathy or a happy life. Nobody should give a shit about them' is just being a dick. I've had a fairly easy life but I've known plenty of people who've been dealt a really hard hand. I can't put myself in their shoes because I'm not them; and you shouldn't do the same.

 

[Innocuous Banter]

Fair enough, you've had some tough times but that's solely your situation; don't assume how other's are getting on in life (or how they should deal with it). Life is too complex for that. Posting 'People who self-harm don't deserve sympathy or a happy life. Nobody should give a shit about them' is just being a dick. I've had a fairly easy life but I've known plenty of people who've been dealt a really hard hand. I can't put myself in their shoes because I'm not them; and you shouldn't do the same.

Only an idiot would think to harm themselves when their life is shitty. They are beyond trying to help and shouldn't bring people down with them, so they should finish the job. They need to put on the big boy pants and off themselves or deal

 

[ERROR_ENTRY]

Only an idiot would think to harm themselves when their life is shitty.

Or maybe their life is so shitty that self-harm seems like the only way to cope?

Whatever, I feel like could talk for ages and give countless examples and I think I'd still fail to convince you

 

[Picklepower]

This isn't the best forum for a discussion about this topic.