Self-injury is the topic that's the most difficult to discuss because it's so incredibly hard to explain to people who haven't experienced it. Self-injury (or SI) is deliberate attempts to injure yourself physically; however, it is usually not a suicidal gesture. Self-injurious behavior (or SIB) is also referred to as self-harm, self-abuse, or self-mutilation. The last two phrases are often found to be quite derogative, so please be sensitive and call this condition self-injury. SIB usually involves cutting your skin with sharp objects such as razors or knives, but also can involve burning, hitting, pulling out hair, and breaking bones. Everyone who engages in SIB has their own reasons for doing so, although SI is definitely not a productive way of coping with intense feelings. Some SI to assure themselves that they can still feel pain, others to mirror internal pain with external pain, others to distract from internal pain. Others still feel the need to punish themselves or destroy themselves.
SI is not an easy thing to hide; scars and bruises accumulate quickly and don't fade easily. Most people will ignore marks they see because SI isn't something people like to bring up openly. SIB often results from other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. SIB can be very dangerous and has sent many people to the hospital after they doing more damage than intended.
You may be wondering which methods I used to batter myself. For a couple years, I would punch myself until I bruised. More recently, however, I would cut my wrists and forearms all the way to my elbows. Something about the blood and the scars really appealed to me. I also experimented with punching walls and burning myself. Let me tell you that stopping SIing was very difficult and painful; I still have urges to hurt myself, but I am now strong enough to tell myself "No."
As bizarre as it sounds, SI is an addiction. You literally can become dependent on the adrenaline rush you get from cutting! Sounds silly? Come on, people are addicted to everything from drugs to the internet. It's a tough habit to break, but it's a habit that must be broken.
If you SI, think about these questions: Why do you SI? Do you know you need to stop? Are there people you can talk to about your SIB? Like I said before, there are many reasons people engage in SIB. It's important for you to understand why you SI so you can deal with the issues troubling you. Think about the physical and mental harm you're doing to yourself and get some help. SI may relieve you for the moment but ultimately does nothing but damage in the long run. If you want to get help, then please contact your physician and get a recommendation from him/her. As for the third question, it's very important that you create a support system of friends and family to help you through your period of healing. Breaking away from SI is not something you can do on your own; it helps to have friends and family backing you up.
If you are a friend or family member of someone who engages in SIB, here are some tips. First of all, don't do anything stupid like hide every sharp object in the house. I've heard of parents doing this before. This only encourages the sufferer into using alternative methods. The best thing you can do for someone who SIs is talk to a health professional. A self-injurer can only claim to have been scratched by a cat, fallen down, burned him/herself with a curling iron so long before their problems can bury them. But, I must stress, try to be discreet. Don't get into an angry confrontation with the self-injurer. Don't threaten to ground or punish him/her. And please, don't blame yourself. It's horrible when parents and friends say stuff like, "Where did we go wrong? It's my fault, isn't it?" And don't just say, "Oh, stop that. It's no big deal, just don't do it." It's a serious problem that must be handled appropriately. Please, I urge you to consult with a physician if you see warning signs of SI. Truly, it's better to be safe than sorry.
When The Cut Goes In Deep originally posted on 03-05-2000 and
reposted after remodeling on 06-22-2000.
Ronnie 2000-2004 ©
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