Self Injury

Self-Injury

by Tarah Doyle, M.A./CAGS School Psychologist

Self-injury is the deliberate act of harming oneself, such as cutting or burning. Usually, the individual engaging in self-injurious behaviors do not intend or wish to commit suicide. Instead, the various acts of self-injury are an individual’s effort of coping with overwhelming negative emotions, such as intense anger, tension and frustration. Other names for self-injury may include: self-harm, self-mutilation, cutting, or burning.

Although self-injury may momentarily release tension and give the individual a sense of calm, it is often followed by feelings of guilt, shame, and painful emotions.  Often times, the act of self-injury is done impulsively and so, is sometimes considered an impulse-control behavior problem.  Self-injury may accompany various mental illnesses, such as depression, eating disorders, and borderline personality disorder.

Self injury is not: attention seeking, manipulation, for pleasure, a group activity, cool/a trend, an adrenaline rush, tattooing, body piercing or part of BDSM sexual activity, or a failed suicide attempt.

Self-injury is often recognized as a common problem among the teen population; however, it is not limited to adolescents. Individuals from all genders, nationalities, socioeconomic groups, and ages can be self-injurers. Individuals who engage in self-injurious acts have a tendency to become expert at hiding or explaining their scars.  Helpful warning signs to look for include a preference for wearing concealing clothing at all times (e.g. long sleeves in hot weather), an avoidance of situations where more revealing clothing might be expected (e.g. refusal to go to a party), or unusually frequent complaints of accidental injury (e.g. a cat owner who frequently has scratches on their arms.

Treatment of self-injury may be in the form of medications such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anxiolytics, which may alleviate some of the underlying feelings the patient is attempting to cope with.  In addition to possible medication as treatment, the patient must also be taught coping mechanisms to replace the self-injury.  After the patient stabilizes, therapeutic work can help the patient cope with the underlying problems that are causing them distress. Patient desire to cooperate and get well is a major factor in recovery.

The information in the article above was drawn from the following sources:

Disclaimer: Material on the Project INTERFACE web site is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. Project INTERFACE urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.