What Self-Injury is:
Self-injury is self-inflicted violence. It is when a person causes intentional pain, harm, or injuries to his/her
own body as a way of coping or expressing overwhelming emotions.
- It can
be brought on by a compulsion or impulse to cause harm
- It can be reactive
- An 'instant
answer' to something going on at that moment
- For some people, it can also be a planned out incident
Self-Injury is a coping mechanism where a person expresses
their emotions (fear, anger, rage, sadness) to get through the moment.
Self-Injury affects people of all ages,
races and backgrounds and is not only a "teen issue" or a "woman's issue". A person who causes self-inflicted
pain and/or injuries can be male, female, young, old, married, single, or even a mother or a father.
Although it may seem strange for a person to comprehend, self-injury is a coping mechanism and for some, a way of survival.
Self-Injury is also referred to as:
- self-harm
- self-abuse
- self-mutilation
- some people may even refer to themselves as "cutters"
The intensity and severity of self-injury varies from person to
person, as do the reasons for causing any type of self-inflicted pain and/or injuries.
The information mentioned
is being shared to show the possible outcomes and severity of self-injury. As someone who has overcome
self-injury, Vicki firmly believes that it is vital that people have an understanding of self-injury and what is behind
it.
The style or type of self-injury varies from person to person and comprises, but is not limited to
the following:
HAIR PULLING (Also known as Tricholtillomania):
Pulling eyelashes (Totally removing), pulling hair from head and other parts of body.
HITTING & BANGING:
By slamming body into wall, or any hard object, punching fists to head, legs,
face; hitting self with object such as hammer, brick, rock, etc.
CUTTING:
By use of sharp
knives, razor blades, glass, anything sharp. Each injury can vary on depth and severity
SCRATCHING:
By using finger nails, pins, needles, tacks, staples, plastic forks, pens, knives
OTHER TYPES
OF SELF-INJURY:
Blood Letting, Razor Pressing, Skin Picking, Chemicals & Inhaling
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN CUTTING & SCRATCHING:
A cut/cutting breaks the skin, in some cases requires stitches, where as scratches/scratching
barely breaks the skin surface - it can leave a mark, however it can fade from a few hours to a day. Note: the severity of
cuts and scratches can vary from person to person.
BURNING:
By using chemicals, cigarettes,
lighters, matches, candles, branding (heating metal objects and pressing them into skin). The severity of burns range
from minor, 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Some burns require surgery, depending on the severity.
GENERAL
INFORMATION ON BURNS:
A burn is tissue injury (skin) caused by exposure to extreme heat, extreme cold, electricity,
friction, acid, alkali or certain other chemicals. Depending on the circumstances, the burn will vary: may be relatively
small and insignificant, OR it may be very large.
Severity:
The severity of a burn is determined
by assessing the depth and the extent of the injury. Burn depth is classified as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree.
Symptoms:
1st degree burn (mild) is usually red and painful.
2nd degree burn (somewhat deeper) is red, painful
and blistered.
3rd degree burn (deep) is usually pale, relatively painless and may or may not be blistered.
Risks:
Most 1st & 2nd degree burns heal within 2-3 weeks and do not produce any serious medical
problems.
For 3rd degree burns:
(a) Germs sometimes get into the wound and start to grow
and multiply, producing an infection. (the odds of developing an infection
vary greatly, depending on the severity
of the burn)
(b) If the burn goes all the way through the skin, the area may require surgery (a skin graft) in order
to heal properly
(c) deep burns can leave a noticeable scar
(d) very large burns (for example, an entire leg) can
lead to a host of serious problems that can be life-threatening
Please Note: the severity of self-injury
varies from person to person and regardless if it is "minor" or "major", it is not a healthy coping mechanism
and is something that the person needs help with and much support to overcome.
The
reasons vary from person to person as to why they would cause self-inflicted pain and/or injuries on their own body. Understanding
that self-injury is a coping mechanism, below are some reasons why people may injure themselves:
- Fear of Abandonment
- Failure
(real or imagined)
- Anger Issues
- For Comfort
- As
a form of punishment
- To avoid showing emotions to another person
- To
avoid appearing weak (real or imagined)
- Hate toward another or hatred toward self
- Embarrassment
- Fear, Guilt, and/or Sadness
- To
avoid feeling
- Overwhelming emotions
- Instant Gratification
- When all other coping mechanisms no longer work
