FromĀ The Independent: According to one researcher, some patients on mental health unitsĀ should be allowed to self-harm. Forcibly stopping patients from engaging in self-harm can exacerbate rather than contain the problem by producing a confrontational rather than therapeutic environment as well as increasing patientsā feelings of powerlessness.
This isn’t an either or situation as usual. When my wife was self harming, I simply went thru it WITH her. It’s about being a ‘safe haven’. I helped her process the overwhelming emotions she was experiencing and didn’t let her do any major damage to herself or me, but I also didn’t ‘stop’ her.
I doubt that any harm a psych victim is allowed to inflict on himself/herself could come close to the damage the medical personnel force on them with their “safe and effective treatments.”
