To think this isn't normal?

[SickTiredandWorried]

AIBU to think that this isn't a reasonable reaction at all- a girl I work with (well' she's 18-19 so I guess she's technically a young woman) got into a heated discussion with a manager, she was really upset and then she started sobbing and hitting her head against the wall really hard. That's not normal is it? Why would she do that? I tried to talk to her but then she started crying again and hid in the toilets and I didn't want to make things worse!

[icelollycraving]

Well it's not usual behaviour certainly in the workplace.
What were they having such a heated discussion about? I would speak in confidence to HR about your concerns.

[WonderingAspie]

Wow, no that's not typical behaviour.

I did this before, but I was at school and going through a very difficult time and I lost it completely. I was 15 though and it was a very traumatic thing I was going through and I had been bottling it up for months.

In the work place I think you have to think about your behaviour. Although I did something stupid at this age at work and could have got into a huge amount t of trouble. Thankfully I didn't. Sometimes you don't think when you are young and it's your first job.

[oldlaundbooth]

Not typical, no.

[Vintage45]

A no from me either. It's not normal to hit yourself against anything. How sad! In saying that, my niece used to cut herself at that age. Very bizarre, or is it a reflection of pressure on our young?

[SickTiredAndWorried]

The discussion was about overtime or something, I'm not quite sure!

Do you think she could actually have something 'wrong' with her? I don't know how to word that without it being offensive! But wonderingaspie do you have asperger's, is that why you did it?

[Hygge]

Crying maybe, I've seen plenty of people cry at work, but hitting her head against a wall sounds extreme to me.

Was she alright when she left work?

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

Could be any number of reasons.

There is no need to go diagnosing her with anything. Just be there for her. Poor woman.

[CaoNiMao]

Calling her actions "bizarre" is not helping. It only serves to further stigmatise self-harm, which is clearly what this poor girl was doing.

[AlmaMartyr]

Sounds like someone having a very difficult time really.

[RebootYourEngine]

My 11 year old ds does this for attention when he doesnt get his own way.

If thry were having a heated discussion and your manager wasnt agreeing with her she might have just been having a temper tantrum.

[wannabestressfree]

I have a lovely friend who owns a driving school who had a student that failed and repeatedly bounced her head off the door and bonnet....he was really worried but her mum said she did it all the time in temper. Like a tantrum :/

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Yes, please be there for her if you can. However I think it's wise to at least consider the possibility that she may have mental health issues as this is very unusual behaviour (at least to me).

[lightsnotchanging]

I sometimes punch/slap myself across the face but wouldn't do it at work. I think it's just a way of releasing something.

[curren]

There is a possibility it's a mental health issue. There is always the possibility she was having a tantrum.

I worked with a woman who picked up a chair and swung it into her own leg. Temper tantrum not metal health problem. She was just a grown up that has tantrums.

Either way i would speak to HR confidentially. They need to be aware she could potentially hurt herself.