What is self injury?
Self injury (SI) is deliberately causing physical harm to yourself to the extent of causing tissue damage (breaking the skin, bruising, leaving marks that last for more than an a few minutes) to deal with unpleasant or overwhelming emotions, thoughts, or situations. It is NOT a way to get attention, a fad, or a suicide attempt!
Methods: Every self injurer has their own tools and preferred methods, here are some.
Cutting - Cutting is the most common method of self injury. It is typically done with razors, knives, scissors or any other sharp object. The majority of the cuts are on the wrists, arms, legs, and stomach.
Carving - Another form of cutting that involves putting words onto ones body, usually of imperfects and negative emotions that the person is feeling at the time. While most carving is done in a negative manner some self injurers may also carve in words of beauty and hope to make themselves feel better about their self injury.
Burning - Usually done with cigarettes, lighters, matches, or any other heated object burning is another way that people injury their bodies. Similar to cutting it is mainly done on wrists, arms, legs, and stomach.
Hitting - Hitting themselves with their fists is another way that people injure their bodies. It is usually done on a persons head and legs.
Breaking Bones - Breaking bones is rare form of self injury. Commonly done with a tool, such as a hammer, brick or any other heavy object. Sometimes people will throw themselves at walls in order to break their bones.
Other- There are other forms of self injury that aren't listed. The ones above are the most known methods of self injury.
Why would anyone choose to hurt themselves?
Relief From Feelings - Often people will hurt their bodies to relieve intense emotions and feel better. These intense feelings can seem uncontrollable, frightening, and dangerous. Self injury will lessen these feelings temporarily.
Coping Mechanism - A coping mechanism is a method of coping people use to help them get through difficult times. Self injury is a method that provides a sense of relief by lessening psychological feelings. It is a negative coping mechanism because it causes people to further harm themselves.
Reduce or End Dissociation - Dissociation is a psychological state in which the indivual experiences an alteration in consciousness, memory, and sometimes identity. People who experience it may feel a floating sensation, or a sense that they are separated from their bodies, watching themselves. While some people welcome their dissociative feelings because it lessens their emotional pain. Others find dissociation uncomfortable and/or frightening. Self injury increases self-awareness in dissociative states and will reduce or end it.
Euphoric Feelings - When people self injure they are of course harming their bodies. The body responses the the injuries by working to minimize pain and damage and to heal the injury quickly. The brain releases substances called endorphins that work as pain-killers. Endorphins can also cause a pleasant physical sensation and can become addictive. Endorphins can make you feel full of life, at peace, or even sexually aroused while you are hurting your body. So some people will self injure in order to produce feelings of euphoria.
Physically Expressing Pain - Sometimes people will hurt their bodies in order to get evidence (scars ect.) that they are suffering psychologically. They may have alexithymia, a condition in which the individual is unable to label their feelings, which is common among self injurers.
Gain and Maintain Control - Gain and Maintain Control - A number of self injurers have been physical, sexually, or emotionally abused or have been the victims of bullying. So they will self injure in order to gain control of their bodies and/or emotions.
Punishment - Some people self injure because the feel that they are "bad" and deserve to feel pain.
Who typically engages in self injury?
Gender - Both males and females injure themselves.
Age - Self injurious behavior usually begins when a person is in there teens.
History of Abuse - The majority of self injurers have a history of sexual, physical, and/or emotional abuse. This doesn't mean that all SI'ers have been abused, or that everyone that has been abused will hurt themselves.
20 Self Injury Warning Signs:
1. They wear multiple bracelets often
2. They prefer to wear long sleeves and/or pants even in hot weather
3. They have a history of emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse
4. They appear to be lonely, isolated, withdrawn, uninterested and/or depressed
5. Unexplained frequent cut and/or burns
6. Poor functioning at school, work, and/or home
7. They prefer to be left alone for long periods of time
8. They avoid going swimming
9. They carry razors, lighter, or any sharp objects that aren't normally needed
10. You notice razors, scissors, knives and/or first aid supplies missing
11. Their taste in music changes
12. Any major change in behavior of any kind
13. A loss of interest in favorite activities
14. Withdrawal (from people, close friends, family and activities)
15. You find sharp objects hidden in their room
16. Unexplained blood stains on clothing, bedding, ect.
17. They have a history of self injury
18. They show an inability to express their emotions
19. Change in sleeping or eating habits
20. They appear unable to handle stress
