SED Follow-Up
There was quite a response to my last post and I was asked to try and find more information about this new disorder being identified by radiologists.
In a subsequent article by the Seattle Times, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld
details of a study being presented at a national conference reveal that all of the individuals in the study were "girls living in foster homes, group homes or mental-health facilities. Many had experienced or witnessed physical or sexual abuse, and most had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or other mental-health problems."
I find several interesting differences between SI and SED. With self-injury, there isn't a suicidal intention as there seems to be with SED. It is not unheard of to have young children engaging in SI, but it seems that most of the individuals identified who purposefully place objects under their skin are teenagers and finally, I find it interesting that I cannot find any references to instances of SED who are male. And furthermore, I am left to wonder about the issue of shame. Shame is such a huge part of SI. Are people who engage in SED beyond caring and therefore don't feel as much shame about what they've done?
So many questions...
What is interesting too is that for the first time, therapists, counselors and physicians are not the ones involved in early identification of this disorder. Instead, radiologists and ultrasound technicians are the ones seeing these objects.
This lets me know that there is no part of the medical profession that should be exempt from education on SI. SED is a new manifestation of a disorder rooted in emotional distress.
But things don't have to get any worse for attention to be paid to those crying out for help.
The more we talk about this and learn more about what people who are struggling with SED need, the more they can be helped.
For the first time ever, there are programs that deal exclusively with SI. It isn't a "new disorder" and although seeking treatment for it is scary, there are enough people now who have heard about it that it shouldn't be cause for ostricization.
But what about those struggling with SED? This "new" disorder that few people have heard of much less know how to make better?
My heart breaks for them. How scary. How troublesome to feel like you are the odd man out.
There has to be reassurance that this can be made better if it's out in the open. There isn't judgment or condemnation.
There is concern. There is a desire to help.
There is hope.
In a subsequent article by the Seattle Times, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld
details of a study being presented at a national conference reveal that all of the individuals in the study were "girls living in foster homes, group homes or mental-health facilities. Many had experienced or witnessed physical or sexual abuse, and most had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or other mental-health problems."
I find several interesting differences between SI and SED. With self-injury, there isn't a suicidal intention as there seems to be with SED. It is not unheard of to have young children engaging in SI, but it seems that most of the individuals identified who purposefully place objects under their skin are teenagers and finally, I find it interesting that I cannot find any references to instances of SED who are male. And furthermore, I am left to wonder about the issue of shame. Shame is such a huge part of SI. Are people who engage in SED beyond caring and therefore don't feel as much shame about what they've done?
So many questions...
What is interesting too is that for the first time, therapists, counselors and physicians are not the ones involved in early identification of this disorder. Instead, radiologists and ultrasound technicians are the ones seeing these objects.
This lets me know that there is no part of the medical profession that should be exempt from education on SI. SED is a new manifestation of a disorder rooted in emotional distress.
But things don't have to get any worse for attention to be paid to those crying out for help.
The more we talk about this and learn more about what people who are struggling with SED need, the more they can be helped.
For the first time ever, there are programs that deal exclusively with SI. It isn't a "new disorder" and although seeking treatment for it is scary, there are enough people now who have heard about it that it shouldn't be cause for ostricization.
But what about those struggling with SED? This "new" disorder that few people have heard of much less know how to make better?
My heart breaks for them. How scary. How troublesome to feel like you are the odd man out.
There has to be reassurance that this can be made better if it's out in the open. There isn't judgment or condemnation.
There is concern. There is a desire to help.
There is hope.