Self harmers are often mistreated by medical staff and other medical personnel. This is caused by misunderstanding, and unfair judgments, as well as a lack of education. It has long been the fear of self harmers to go to hospital and be mistreated because of the nature of their illness.

It seems that emergency room staff and nurses are the worst, often leaving self harmers until last, and not giving adequate health care when they are admitted. One girl writes “…They attempted to treat me in the corridor with all the bay curtains open!”

This is just one of many stories of the humiliation and lack of professional work ethic that these medical personnel showed. She goes on to say “he read two lines before throwing it down on the table and saying ‘what do you want me to do’” when trying to explain her predicament to a Doctor. And even more disturbing, often they completely disregard their duty of care when suicide is mentioned, “…They kicked me out, even after I told them I was going to the nearest bridge.”

There are countless recollections, which would make even the sanest person afraid to ask for medical help.

Psychiatrists are equally at blame, In a related article Tricia McCarter-Joseph says, “Some are under the impression that it’s always done for attention or that it’s psychotic,” and goes on to write “Some doctors punish instead of treat.” This is a common problem and a serious breach of the code of conduct.

There are countless reports of Self Harmers stitched up without anesthetic, turned away with blood pouring down their arms, or simply ignored for hours until their blood loss is too great for the nurses to ignore.

Yet another woman tells how “…I was put in the corridor and given a bucket to catch the blood, they gave me a bunch of gauze and told me to take care of myself, since I did it to myself.” Would these doctors ever tell an overweight diabetic to “just deal with it?” Never. Would they turn away a ‘pack a day’ smoker with lung cancer? Not a chance. Then why are self harmers treated so appallingly?

Deb Martinson writes, “…In emergency rooms, people with self-inflicted wounds are often told directly and indirectly, that they are not as deserving of care as someone who has an accidental injury. They are treated badly by the same doctors who would not hesitate to do everything possible to preserve the life of an overweight, sedentary heart-attack patient.”

There is so little education for doctors and nurses that they truly don’t know what they are dealing with. Misinterpreting acts of self harm, as attention seeking, failed suicide effects, or frightening; when in fact they are the sign of a person in a lot of pain and desperately in need of the professional help they are denying them.

As overworked and busy as ER doctors and nurses are, they need to be educated in the psychology of self harm, and have impressed upon them, that ALL injuries that need treatment, are to be given the same quality and duty of care, regardless of how the injury was sustained.

They need to understand that self harmers are NOT trying to waste their time, or otherwise stretch the resources of the health system. They need help, as much as anyone else in the emergency room.

We can only hope that this change of attitude happens sooner rather then later. Please, if you are one of the many mistreated self harmers, lodge a complaint to the misconduct office, Medical personnel, DO NOT have the right to turn you away, and just like everyone else, you are entitled to appropriate health care services.

-Aimee Cameron.

*Quotes are from self harmers who wish to remain anonymous

Deb Martinson’s article - http://www.palace.net/~llama/selfinjury/guide.html

Tricia McCarter-Joseph’s article - http://www.calder.net/tmccarter/2005-01-25-self_harming_2.html