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Self-injury is defined as someone who intentionally injures or mutilates him or herself when under emotional stress. The injuries that are often inflicted are cuts, bites and other things that are severe enough to cause tissue damage. There are different degrees of self-mutilation and injury. Some are mild where are some are so severe that the person will amputate limbs from themselves or have it surgically done at their request. Self-injury/mutilation is not the same as a suicide attempt even though others may view it to be.
There are 3 different types of self-mutilation/injury. The most common is superficial self-injury. This type usually consists of the people cutting, burning, or hitting themselves, pulling out their own hair, and breaking bones. The second type is stereotypical self-mutilation. This consists of the person banging their head, pushing in on their eyeballs and biting themselves when under emotional stress or anger. The third and most extreme type is major self-mutilation. This is very rare but the person affected may amputate limbs or will castrate himself, or do other things that permanently disfigure themselves.
There are some people that will feel that a certain limb is not a part of their body and will do whatever it takes to have it removed. They feel that if they continue having this appendage that they are going to die or just go insane. To them this limb is the source of all their problems and it therefore must be destroyed. Some will request surgery to have it removed, and if denied will either try to remove it themselves or they will mutilate the limb to the point that amputation is the only option to save the person's life. Some people injure or mutilate themselves because they feel so numb with pain that they don't feel they are alive so they cut themselves to see if they still bleed. Others just feel that physical pain is better than emotional pain so they hurt themselves to get their minds off their problems.
Most people who suffer from this affliction are usually people who are considered perfectionists. The person may have an eating disorder and a poor self-esteem to the point that they actually begin to hate themselves. Some are victims of sexual or physical abuse as children and feel extreme guilt, hurt or anger toward themselves and feel they need to be punished in order to feel better. After a person has an episode, they usually feel de-stressed and calm. They rarely think of the consequences of their actions.
Getting the person to admit there is a problem is a big step. Most people will try to hide this because they feel that they are worthless and that they will be thought of as even more worthless if anyone were to know. They feel guilt, fear and shame because they feel they are out of control. The person feels they are alone in this and that they are the only one with this kind of problem so they try even harder to hide it. The more they hide it, the more guilt and shame they feel, which adds to the anger, and stress they are already feeling. It's a cycle that needs to be broken.
People who intentionally cut themselves feel like they are letting inner emotions escape when they do so. Some feel they are such horrible people that they begin hating themselves so much that they carve derogatory words about themselves on their bodies as a way of letting everyone know just how terrible they are. These people are not bad, they are crying out for help and need a lot of support from friends and family. Psychotherapy and medication can help control this. There are also coping techniques for those who feel the strong urge to do damage to themselves. Some of them are deep breathing and relaxation, finding alternate activities to keep their mind off of things. Exercise, calling a friend or doctor for help,
Inflicting the damage to an inanimate object such as a pillow or an old towel. Another good thing to do is have them wear a rubber band around the wrist and have them snap it when they feel the urge to cut themselves. Anything that will prevent the person from doing serious harm is worth trying.
Support groups are a good way to seek help. With a support group the person who is suffering from this will feel like they are no longer alone in this. Through the help and support of this type of therapy the person will find new ways to deal with their stress and anger.
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