Self-Injury - Is It Body Piercing Or Tattooing?

You might have heard or be familiar with the above topic, growing at a geometric rate amongst the youth today. It could be a school mate, a sibling, or it could be you. In the United States alone, it is estimated that millions of people-many youths-deliberately hurt themselves by various means, such as cutting, burning, bruising, or scraping their skin.

Deliberately hurting themselves? In the past many would link such behavior with some bizarre fed or occult. In recent years, however, knowledge about self-injury-which includes cutting or self-mutilation-has grown dramatically. Evidently, so has the number of those coming forward with the problem. "Every clinician says it is increasing, "states Michael Hollander, director of a treatment center in the United States.

Self-injury is rarely fatal, but it is dangerous. Many sufferers have carried the practice of self-injury into adulthood.

A DIVERSE PROFILE
It is difficult to put self-injurers, as they are sometimes called-into a single category. Some come from troubled families; others from stable, happy homes. A number are falling at school, but many are excelling as students. Often, self-injurers give little if any indication that they have a problem, for a person who is not adversity does not always show it on the outside. The Bible states: "Even in laughter the heart may be in life."-Proverbs 14-13.

Then, too, the severity of self-injury differs from one person to the next. One study, for example, found that some individuals cut themselves only once in a year, while others average twice a day. Interestingly, more males are injuring themselves than was once thought. Still, the problem is found mostly among adolescent girls.

Even with such a diverse profile, some self-injurers seem to share certain traits. One encyclopedia on youths observes: "Adolescents who self-injure often feel powerless, have difficulty trusting others with emotions feel isolated or alienated, feel afraid, and have low self-esteem.

Of course, some may say that this description could fit almost any young person who is facing the fears and insecurities of growing up. For the self-injurer, though, the struggle is particularly intense. The inability to put troubled feelings into words and to express this confidant can make pressures from school, demands of work, or conflicts at home appear overwhelming. She feels no solution and feels she has no one to talk to. The tension feels unbearable. Finally, she discovers something! By hurting herself physically, she seems to find some relief from the emotional anguish, and she feels she can carry on with her life-at least for the moment.

WHY DOES THE CUTTER RESORT TO PHYSICAL PAIN IN AN EFFORT TO RELIEVE EMOTIONAL ANGUISH?
To answer the above question, consider what happens when you get in a doctor's office about to get a shot. As the process begins, have you ever found yourself pinching your skin or perhaps putting pressure on it with your fingernails, just to distract yourself from the sting of the needle? What the self-injurers does is similar, although, on a more serious level. To the sel-injurer, cutting provides a form of distraction and a sense of relief from the sting of the emotional anguish. And the anguish is so great that by comparison, physical pain is preferable. Perhaps that is why one self-injurer described cutting as "medicine for my fears."

A MECHANISM TO COPE WITH STRESS.
To those who are not acquainted with the disorder, self-injury may appear to be an attempt at suicide. But this is not usually the case." Generally speaking, these people are trying to end just their pain, not their lives," writes Sabrina Sollin Weill, executive editor of a magazine for teens. Hence, one reference work refers to self-injury as "a 'life preserver' rather than an exit strategy." It also calls the practice "mechanism to cope with stress."

What kind of stress? It has been found that many self-injurers have suffered some type of trauma, such as childhood abuse or neglect. For others, family conflict or the alcoholism of a parent is the factor. For some, a mental disorder is involved. There could be other problems as well. To others, self-injury is mere self-discipline, while self-injury could be a reflection of a deep self-loathing.

Some might wonder why such a disturbing practice has only come to light in recent decades, the challenges of adolescent-in some cases, coupled with the tragic life experiences-can provide the groundwork for a pattern of harmful behavior, including self-injury. Whatever relief self-injury may seem to offer is short-lived. Sooner or later the problem returns, and so does self-injury.

In conclusion, those who practice wants to quit but find it difficult. How have some been able to break the practice of self-injury? This will be highlighted in my next article.