The terms non suicidal self-injury (NSSI), self-harm, self-mutilation, self-abuse, or self-injury (SI) refer to the act of purposely harming oneself. Often referred to as “cutting,” which describes one common way in which people hurt themselves. Cutting isn’t the only way a person can engage in self-injury. Some examples of self-injury are:
- Cutting
- Sticking objects into the skin (broken glass, pins, excessive piercing)
- Banging head against the a hard surface
- Scalding or burning oneself
- Trichotillomania (pulling out hair)
- Hitting oneself with a hard object such as a hammer
- Skin picking or pulling off scabs
- Intentionally interfering with wound healing
- Swallowing poison or other inappropriate objects
- Breaking bones in the hands and feet
Non suicidal self-injury is not behavior with any suicidal intent. If suicide does happens, it happens by accident. It can be particularly challenging for people to understand the purpose that self-injury serves. People self-injure to cope with internal emotions, to stop bad feelings, to relieve emotional numbness, to punish themselves, to obtain a sense of belonging, or to get attention. Self-injury may serve as a way to express emotions unable to be put into words, to feel a sense of control when finding one’s self in a painful environment. SI can be a means of decreasing anxiety by distracting themselves by self-harm. Self-injury can be a means of relieving guilt, or helping the person to feel alive. Studies conducted by Matthew Nock, from Harvard and Mitchell Prinstein from Yale suggest that there are four primary reasons for engaging in self-harming behaviors:
- To reduce negative emotions,
- To feel “something” besides numbness or emptiness,
- To avoid certain social situations,
- To receive social support.
Self-harm is a complex disorder and often a symptom of other types of mental health disorders. Self-harm is self-destructive. People hurting themselves produce neuro-peptides or endorphins, which are the same chemicals that cause a “runner’s high” that make them feel happier and more relaxed. There are additional ways of producing endorphins: unprotected sex, violent or kinky sex, getting a piercing or a tattoo for the pain of the act, starving yourself, compulsive exercise, all night club hopping, and of course excessive use of drugs and alcohol. All of these are self-destructive but they’re not necessarily considered self-injurious.
The typical age for the onset of self-injury is age 14 and may continue to age 20. Each year, 1 in 5 females and 1 in 7 males engage in self-injury. Females comprise 60% of those who engage in self-injurious behavior.
Estimates vary widely but statistics indicate that 3% to 38% of all adolescents and young adults identify as self-harmers. 90% of the people who engage in self-harm begin during their pre-adolescent or early teen years. Studies have shown that children as young as seven years old have engaged in self-harm. Many of those who self-injure report learning how to do so from friends or web sites that advocate self injury.
Studies conducted with university students demonstrated that 17% of the students interviewed discussed a lifetime prevalence of considering or using self-harm, with 13% reporting that they had engaged in self-harm more than once. Self-injury may begin during the college years, with surveys reporting that 30% to 40% of college students report engaging in self-harm for the first time after the age of 17. Self-injurious behaviors may last a life time. Nearly 50% of those who engage in self-injury activities have been sexually abused. Approximately two million self-injury cases are reported annually in the U.S.
There are so many myths about self-injury, that’s why it’s important to know about self-mutilation facts when responding to people who engage in this type of behavior. Read through these bullet points about approaching someone who engages in self-injury:
- Remain calm and caring
- Accept him or her even if you disagree with the behavior
- Know that this represents a way of dealing with emotional pain
- Listen with compassion
- Avoid panic and overreaction
- Do not show shock or revulsion at what they’ve done
- Do not use threats in an attempt to stop the behavior
- Do not allow him or her to recount the self-injury experience in detail as it may trigger another session
- Do get appropriate help for him or her from a qualified mental health professional
The best way to help is to stay informed about self-injury facts. The more you know about the causes of self-injury, motivations, and appropriate responses, the more effective you’ll be when dealing with someone who engages in this activity. Contact the International Society for the Study of Self Injury for more information (http://itriples.org/).
Research Used in this Blog:
International Society for the Study of Self-Injury, http://itriples.org/
Teen Line On Line.org: https://teenlineonline.org/youth-yellow-pages/cutting-and-self-injury/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw-tSrBRCk8bzDiO__gbwBEiQAk-D31VIqd8MEI8gI0p_Gq6WrQdhUb-N90S1ozvt6Lfve-HAaAhFW8P8HAQ
Teen Hotline: 310-855-4673
S.A.F.E. Alternatives, Telephone- (800)-DONTCUT or (800)-366-8288
info@selfinjury.com, www.selfinjury.com
Matthew K. Nock, and Mitchell J. Prinstein, (2004,5) A Functional Approach to the Assessment of Self-Mutilative Behavior, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2004, Vol. 72, No. 5, 885–890 0022-006X/04/ DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.72.5.885. http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~nock/nocklab/Nock_Prinstein_JCCP2004.pdf
The Healthy Place- Self Injury, Self-Harm Statistics and Facts, by Samantha Gluck, http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/self-injury/self-injury-self-harm-statistics-and-facts/
Why Would Anyone want to Harm Themselves, Non Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI) Blog by Naghma Khan, a Clinical & Addictions Psychologist in India, http://www.mkrecoverycoaching.com/2012/04/13/why-would-anyone-harm-themselves/ or http://unwrappingminds.wordpress.com
