Self mutilation is certainly a diagnosed disorder that has become a major health concern. Most information indicates that people that self mutilate also tend to have eating disorders. Do you think you may be experiencing that as well?
Help Guide.org provides the most common behaviors for self mutilators.
The most common self-injurious behaviors are:
Cutting - involves making cuts or scratches on your body with any sharp object, including knives, needles, razor blades or even fingernails. The arms, legs and front of the torso are most commonly cut because they are easily reached and easily hidden under clothing
Branding – burning self with a hot object, Friction burn – rubbing a pencil eraser on your skin
Picking at skin or re-opening wounds (dermatillomania) - is an impulse control disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pick at one's own skin, often to the extent that damage is caused which relieves stress or is gratifying
Hair-pulling (trichotillomania) – is an impulse control disorder which at times seems to resemble a habit, an addiction, or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The person has an irresistible urge to pull out hair from any part of their body. Hair pulling from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots on their head which they hide by wearing hats, scarves and wigs. Abnormal levels of serotonin or dopamine may play a role in this disorder. The combined treatment of using an anti-depressant such as Anafranil and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been effective in treating this disorder. CBT teaches you to become more aware of when you’re pulling, helps you identify your pulling habits, and teaches you about what emotions and triggers are involved in hair pulling. When you gain awareness of pulling, you can learn to substitute healthier behaviors instead.
Hitting (with hammer or other object), Bone breaking, Punching, Head-banging (more often seen with autism or severe mental retardation)
Multiple piercing or tattooing - may also be a type of self-injury, especially if pain or stress relief is a factor
Drinking harmful chemicals
The best way to understand how you can stop the urges to hurt yourself is to find out why you may be experiencing the urges. Answers.com provides a few suggestions on why people may self mutilate themselves.
There are several different theories have been proposed to explain self-mutilation:
self-mutilation is an outlet for strong negative emotions, especially anger or shame, that the person is afraid to express in words or discuss with others.
self-mutilation represents anger at someone else directed against the self.
self-mutilation relieves unbearable tension or anxiety. Many self-mutilators do report feeling relief after an episode of self-cutting or other injury.
self-mutilation is a technique for triggering the body's biochemical responses to pain. Stress and trauma release endorphins, which are the body's natural pain-killing substances.
self-mutilation is a way of stopping a dissociative episode. Dissociation is a process in which the mind splits off, or dissociates, certain memories and thoughts that are too painful to keep in conscious awareness. Some people report that they feel "numb" or "dead" when they dissociate, and self-injury allows them to feel "alive."
self-mutilation is a symbolic acting-out of the larger culture's mistreatment of women. This theory is sometimes offered to explain why the great majority (about 75%) of self-mutilators are girls and women.
In the short term, you may want to try and occupy yourself during the trigger or onset of the urge. Although, this is only for short term purposes. You should really seek counseling with someone that specializes in the area of self mutilation. There are also support groups for the dissociative disorder.
Here are some links to help sites that may lead you in the right direction. I hope this helps. Please keep us updated, we would love for you to share your story.
Helping Yourself from Helpguide.org http://www.helpguide.org/mental/self_injury.htm#self.
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Hi Anonymous,
Thank you for sharing your personal story.
Self mutilation is certainly a diagnosed disorder that has become a major health concern. Most information indicates that people that self mutilate also tend to have eating disorders. Do you think you may be experiencing that as well?
Help Guide.org provides the most common behaviors for self mutilators.
The most common self-injurious behaviors are:
Cutting - involves making cuts or scratches on your body with any sharp object, including knives, needles, razor blades or even fingernails. The arms, legs and front of the torso are most commonly cut because they are easily reached and easily hidden under clothing
Branding – burning self with a hot object, Friction burn – rubbing a pencil eraser on your skin
Picking at skin or re-opening wounds (dermatillomania) - is an impulse control disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pick at one's own skin, often to the extent that damage is caused which relieves stress or is gratifying
Hair-pulling (trichotillomania) – is an impulse control disorder which at times seems to resemble a habit, an addiction, or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The person has an irresistible urge to pull out hair from any part of their body. Hair pulling from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots on their head which they hide by wearing hats, scarves and wigs. Abnormal levels of serotonin or dopamine may play a role in this disorder. The combined treatment of using an anti-depressant such as Anafranil and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been effective in treating this disorder. CBT teaches you to become more aware of when you’re pulling, helps you identify your pulling habits, and teaches you about what emotions and triggers are involved in hair pulling. When you gain awareness of pulling, you can learn to substitute healthier behaviors instead.
Hitting (with hammer or other object), Bone breaking, Punching, Head-banging (more often seen with autism or severe mental retardation)
Multiple piercing or tattooing - may also be a type of self-injury, especially if pain or stress relief is a factor
Drinking harmful chemicals
The best way to understand how you can stop the urges to hurt yourself is to find out why you may be experiencing the urges. Answers.com provides a few suggestions on why people may self mutilate themselves.
There are several different theories have been proposed to explain self-mutilation:
self-mutilation is an outlet for strong negative emotions, especially anger or shame, that the person is afraid to express in words or discuss with others.
self-mutilation represents anger at someone else directed against the self.
self-mutilation relieves unbearable tension or anxiety. Many self-mutilators do report feeling relief after an episode of self-cutting or other injury.
self-mutilation is a technique for triggering the body's biochemical responses to pain. Stress and trauma release endorphins, which are the body's natural pain-killing substances.
self-mutilation is a way of stopping a dissociative episode. Dissociation is a process in which the mind splits off, or dissociates, certain memories and thoughts that are too painful to keep in conscious awareness. Some people report that they feel "numb" or "dead" when they dissociate, and self-injury allows them to feel "alive."
self-mutilation is a symbolic acting-out of the larger culture's mistreatment of women. This theory is sometimes offered to explain why the great majority (about 75%) of self-mutilators are girls and women.
In the short term, you may want to try and occupy yourself during the trigger or onset of the urge. Although, this is only for short term purposes. You should really seek counseling with someone that specializes in the area of self mutilation. There are also support groups for the dissociative disorder.
Here are some links to help sites that may lead you in the right direction. I hope this helps. Please keep us updated, we would love for you to share your story.
Helping Yourself from Helpguide.org http://www.helpguide.org/mental/self_injury.htm#self.
Self-Mutilators Anonymous http://www.providence.org/healthlibrary/contentViewer.aspx?hwid=shc63sel&serviceArea=generic.
S.A.F.E. Alternatives http://www.selfinjury.com/.
February 7, 2009 - 10:06amThis Comment
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