Self Injury
Cutting and Other Types of Injury
Types of Self Injury
- Cutting yourself
- Burning yourself
- Hitting yourself
- Bruising yourself
- Head banging
- Biting your fingernails excessively
- Interfering with the healing of wounds by reopening
- Pulling out or plucking your hair to an excessive degree
- Intentionally breaking your own bones
Self injury may exist with other issues, such as alcohol, drug or sexual addictions, eating
disorders, and body image disorders. There are many similarities between addictions and
self injury. Both methods are trying to change their mood. The neurotransmitters in our
brain released during the self injury or substance abuse serve to self medicate.
The goal of self injury is to feel better. So many families are so sure the person is trying to
commit suicide, when that is not what is happening. Self injury is a coping mechanism, a
way to deal with the situation. The person is feeling overwhelmed and self injures to get
by. Self injury is not a mild form of suicide or a suicide attempt gone awry
(Alderman, 1997). Self injury may appear to be similar to suicide; it is different because
the self injurer is attempting to avoid suicide and death (Connors, 2000).
How we react to someone who self-injures is, of course, extremely important. After
finding out, we may call them every hour to see what they are doing. Some self jury
persons reported family reacting loudly, screaming about it and claiming they are
committing suicide. Friends avoid the person because they are unable to understand.
People focus on the wounds, looking for new ones. They tiptoe around the self injured
person, or worse, ignore the issue. Any of these reactions can have an effect on the self
injured emotions. The self injured may feel more rejected and invisible.
It is important to recognize the person and not their behaviors. The person needs to
want to stop the behavior. They will have deep shame and embarrassment over their
way of coping with life. Shame is an important part of self injury.
Changing thought patterns is one of the first components to reducing the behaviors.
Relaxation techniques, deep breathing and visualizations, help the person lessen anxiety.
The person needs to learn to express feelings differently by walking, taking a bath, fixing
something or painting. The self injurious need to find a network of family and friends,
along with professional help, which will help them reach out to others and find their own
healthy lifestyle.
