The other day I accidentally walked into his room while her was changing. I noticed cuts on his thighs and calves. I pretended that I didn't notice them and walked back out. I gave him acouple days to see if he would come to me but he hasn't said a thing and still acts the same. I haven't noticed any changes in his behavior he doesn't seem depressed and he's still going to school doing what he needs to do at home and every once in a while he'll have an attitude but nothing out of the ordinary. He's 15. My wife (his mother) is in jail for acouple more months and im only 34. I've never dealt with anything like self harm. Im unsure what to do at this point
Anonymous2021-04-02T13:38:51Z
"I've never dealt with anything like self-harm." Then start researching self-harm on the internet. Ask him why he does it. Use this as a teaching opportunity to show him why self-harming isn't an appropriate way to deal with life problems. If you feel he needs therapy, then make an appointment with a therapist.
Ask him. Be kind and nonjudgemental. "I saw those cuts on you, and am worried because I love you very much. Can you tell me what's going on?" If he's cutting, he's depressed, and should see a doctor and a therapist, if possible.
There's a wide variety of treatments. Very severe cases require months of intense therapy but many people do well with a treatment that's just a booklet and a few therapy sessions, usually 2 or 3. Whenever possible, treatment outside a hospital is best because therapy that teaches skills for the real world is best taught in the real world. Good news - treatments that only reduce self-harm are considered successful. The less self-harm the stronger he is and better able to deal with the problems that led to self-harm.
Freedom from Self-Harm: Overcoming Self-Injury with Skills from DBT and Other Treatments - This book has been endorsed by Marsha Linehan, who created DBT, the best treatment for borderline personality disorder, which has serious self-injury as a frequent symptom. If you go to the Amazon ad, you'll see that readers GREATLY appreciate this book. One said, "This book helped me tremendously."