| You are here: | About>Health>Mental Health> Mental Illness> Self-Injury |
![]() | Mental Health |
Self-InjuryAbout.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
When I worked at a college counseling center we had a "suicide policy" which kicked-in whenever a student made a suicide attempt or "gesture." If a student cut themselves intentionally it was assumed that this was part of suicidal thinking, and it was treated this way. While it is certainly important to take such behavior very seriously, it does not always reflect suicidal thinking. We are beginning to understand more about self-cutting and self-mutilation, and enlightened therapists can often help. Susan Stiger wrote an article about adolescent self-mutilation in the Albuquerque Journal which quotes several New Mexico teens who cut themselves. Some of the quotes shed light on the value that these behaviors have. One 16 year old is quoted as saying "I always cut deep enough to bleed, that was mandatory. I'm afraid of people getting close to me, then rejecting me." (Stiger, 1998a) It seems that seeing blood is calming for some. Others report that the pain is what calms them down. One theory is that such pain results in the release of endorphins, natural opium-like substances. The resulting "high" may feel good, and reinforce the behavior. This is sometimes thought of as "self-soothing." The fact that it sometimes occurs in abuse survivors has led some to speculate that self-mutilation may involve a re-enactment of the abuse, or self-punishment related to self-esteem problems. Stiger wrote a companion piece which includes the following advice from professionals in her community:
Created: November 21, 2003 |
Dealing With Heart DiseaseHeart Disease BasicsCommon SymptomsTreatment OptionsReducing Your RiskWomen and Heart Disease |
All Topics | Email Article | | | ![]() |
| Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | Help | Our Story | Be a Guide |
| More from About, Inc.: Calorie Count Plus | UCompareHealthCare User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Corrections | Privacy Policy | ©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. |


