Self Mutilative Behaviors Pt. 1
July 3rd 2007 17:23
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Self Harm and were Afraid to Ask
•There are two million or more Americans who regularly injure themselves intentionally and compulsively. Studies show that 1,400 out of every 100,000 people in the U.S. deliberately cut, burn, or injure themselves each year. This is nearly 30 times the rate of suicide attempts and 140 times the rate of “successful” suicides.
•Although cutting has been considered the “addiction of the 21st century”, references to cutting, mutilating, and self harm have been documented for over 2,000 years .
•Persons who self mutilate are men and women, from all racial groups, all social and economic stations, and of varying ages.
•Cutting usually begins in adolescence and is more common among females than males.
•Cutting is ritualistic and includes an implement of choice and in some cases ceremony.
•Most cutters are bright, talented, creative people pleasers who are extremely perfectionist.
•Cutting is a pain driven syndrome, and strong correlations between self-mutilating, cumulative abuse, and eating disorders have been noted.
•It is prudent to note that self-mutilating allows clients to play our roles of victim, perpetrator, and finally loving caretaker.
•The sight of blood for many clients is literal proof that they are alive, redefining the body’s boundaries, and in extreme cases, drawing them out of terrifying dissociative states.
•Many cutters have been “silenced” and are forced to find another language that is primitive and destructive to speak their “truths.”
•Most cutters provide these clues about their self-mutilating behavior. Most cutters feel profoundly alienated from their body. Secondly, cutters feel a loss of control regarding their lives and feel that they are unable to regulate their emotions and behavior appropriate to a given situation. Thirdly, they act out the “video” of their learned childhood lessons.
•Cutters almost uniformly report the same sequence of events and emotional states before and after episodes of self-injury. Cutting bouts are generally precipitated by an experience—real or perceived—of loss or abandonment. Cutters have “short time” horizon views and believe they have always felt that bad or will never feel good again.
•Many cutters are acutely sensitive to abandonment. Because many cutters never properly attached to and then separated from their early caretakers, they live in a perpetual state of separation anxiety so unbearable it feels annihilating.
•Most cutters spend enormous amounts of effort looking for a way to end their need to cut.
•There are two million or more Americans who regularly injure themselves intentionally and compulsively. Studies show that 1,400 out of every 100,000 people in the U.S. deliberately cut, burn, or injure themselves each year. This is nearly 30 times the rate of suicide attempts and 140 times the rate of “successful” suicides.
•Although cutting has been considered the “addiction of the 21st century”, references to cutting, mutilating, and self harm have been documented for over 2,000 years .
•Persons who self mutilate are men and women, from all racial groups, all social and economic stations, and of varying ages.
•Cutting usually begins in adolescence and is more common among females than males.
•Cutting is ritualistic and includes an implement of choice and in some cases ceremony.
•Most cutters are bright, talented, creative people pleasers who are extremely perfectionist.
•Cutting is a pain driven syndrome, and strong correlations between self-mutilating, cumulative abuse, and eating disorders have been noted.
•It is prudent to note that self-mutilating allows clients to play our roles of victim, perpetrator, and finally loving caretaker.
•The sight of blood for many clients is literal proof that they are alive, redefining the body’s boundaries, and in extreme cases, drawing them out of terrifying dissociative states.
•Many cutters have been “silenced” and are forced to find another language that is primitive and destructive to speak their “truths.”
•Most cutters provide these clues about their self-mutilating behavior. Most cutters feel profoundly alienated from their body. Secondly, cutters feel a loss of control regarding their lives and feel that they are unable to regulate their emotions and behavior appropriate to a given situation. Thirdly, they act out the “video” of their learned childhood lessons.
•Cutters almost uniformly report the same sequence of events and emotional states before and after episodes of self-injury. Cutting bouts are generally precipitated by an experience—real or perceived—of loss or abandonment. Cutters have “short time” horizon views and believe they have always felt that bad or will never feel good again.
•Many cutters are acutely sensitive to abandonment. Because many cutters never properly attached to and then separated from their early caretakers, they live in a perpetual state of separation anxiety so unbearable it feels annihilating.
•Most cutters spend enormous amounts of effort looking for a way to end their need to cut.
| 75 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Wow I didn`t realise that the stats were so high on this one.
Thanks for the info. It is amazing what a person will do in order to try and make themselves feel better. How sad that they have to feel like that in the first place.
ash
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
This is one of my two areas of expertise and I speak all over the US about this subject. I have worked with these folks for years. It is very difficult to treat b/c it takes so long to break the cycle. Thanks for stopping by!
Mis
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories