Do antidepressants reduce self harm?
⌛ Video Chapters ⌛
0:00 - Introduction
0:33 - A Question about Prozac and Self Harming Behavior
1:35 - Self-Harm and Psychiatric Conditions
3:27 - Self-Harm Is Sometimes Used to Change Emotions
7:17 - Self-Harm Is Sometimes Used to Change Uncomfortable Situations
10:19 - Can Antidepressants Reduce Self Harm?
13:34 - Antidepressants might Worsen Self-Injury Risks
16:02 - Keeping Record of the Symptoms
20:07 - Summary: Do Antidepressants Reduce Self-Harm?
Can antidepressants reduce self-harm? This video discusses the causes of self-injurious behavior and to what extent antidepressant medications can help.
The term “self-harm” can refer to several types of behavior. Often “self-harm” refers to non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors - when you hurt yourself without the intention of dying.
Self-harm behaviors can accompany certain psychiatric conditions - depression, anxiety, various kinds of personality disorders, psychosis, developmental disorders and autism-spectrum disorders.
Self-harm behaviors can also have numerous psychological purposes. Some people engage in self-harm as a way to deal with distressing emotions. Others find that self-harm can change uncomfortable conversations or alter the flow of interpersonal relationship struggles.
Whether antidepressants will reduce self-harm very much depends on what is driving the self-injurious behavior. If the self-harm is driven by something like an endogenous depression or anxiety disorder (things that antidepressants can be helpful for), then it’s possible that the medication can bring down the frequency of self-harm.
On the other hand, if the self-harm has evolved as a sort of effective way to regulate emotion or communicate distress in relationships, then antidepressant medications will probably not help much. Medications don’t create coping or communication skills.
And there’s also the possibility that they could make things worse. Some of the side effects of antidepressant medications could potentially make self-harm behaviors more likely to happen.
As with any treatment, the best way to know if it’s working or not is to keep a record of symptoms.
If the symptoms become less frequent, severe or go away entirely, then the treatment is working. On average, you should start seeing results in 2 to 6 weeks. Speak to the treatment provider to discuss alternative treatment options if the prescribed medication isn’t working.
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