What is Self Injury?
TW: Depiction of Self Injury
It comes in many forms, with cutting being the most prevalent. Cutting can be superficial but sometimes can cause bleeding, scars, and the need for medical treatment. Some people self-injure through hitting themselves, with or without an object, causing bruises or other injuries. Head-banging can also be a form of self-injury. Many times, these injuries are in hidden places such as under clothing or near more private body areas. Self-injury is usually done in secrecy but can occasionally be done in front of someone. Fairly often, self-injury accompanies other disorders such as eating disorders or mood disorders.
Some people believe it is a suicidal behavior. It is possible the self-injurer is suicidal, so it’s recommended for caregivers to explore this possibility further.
It can be a cry for help. Cuts and bruises are physical signs that something is wrong and maybe the self-injurer is hoping someone will see the injuries and want to help.
Many think it has to do with depression or anxiety. Yes, self-injurers can be suffering from depression and/or anxiety, and those emotions drive them to hurt themselves. However, clinical levels of depression and anxiety aren’t always the case.
To many, self-injury is merely a coping method. An unhealthy method, but a method, nonetheless. For some self-injurers, the act of cutting, banging, or hitting can be a release of emotions. It can bring a physical pain that distracts for the emotional pain. Physical pain releases soothing endorphins, nature’s natural pain killers. Any negative emotion, such as anger, sadness, worry, guilt, fear, or even stress, can be a trigger for self-injurers to want to relieve it. The injury causes endorphins which can seem to ease whatever negative emotions he/she was feelings. The endorphins are somewhat addictive. Therefore, someone who self-injures can act on the urge no matter which emotion they may be feeling.
Negative emotion—> Self-injury—-> Endorphin release—>Relief
This becomes a form of addictive behavior. And because harming one’s own body isn’t healthy, it’s imperative for the self-injurer to learn other, healthy coping methods.
Depending on the addiction level, stopping the addiction may require different levels of intervention. For some, merely learning why they self-harm may be all that’s necessary to recognize the triggers and employ other coping methods such as journaling, physical exercise, talking it out, or meditation. To them, self-injury is more of a bad habit that needs to be broken.
For others who are more addicted to the behavior, in which it has become a way of life, may require a full addiction recovery approach. This would involve therapy, individual and group, deep healing, an accountability partner, and a hands-on recovery program. It will take a while before new coping strategies can become affective enough to replace the self-harming behavior.
But there is hope. Unlike many other addictions, self-injury is often recovered from. Therapy is extremely helpful to assist you or a loved one through this.
Self-injurers do not typically self-injure throughout life. Once they have received help and can discover other coping methods to help manage negative or overwhelming emotions, self-injury is no longer needed. Scars often remain, but they signify a rough time in one’s past in which they eventually triumphed.