Self-Mutilation

There are many different definitions for self-mutilations, also known as self-injury, self-harm, or self-inflicted violence. One definition of self-mutilation is that is any self-directed, repetitive behavior that causes physical injury. Another definition is that self-mutilation is self-inflicted physical harm severe enough to cause tissue damage done without suicidal intent. This is just one example of the blurriness of the boundaries of self-mutilation.

It is very hard to pin point exactly who or why people self-mutilate, however there are known risk factors. The known risk factors are: the female gender, of adolescence and college age, involved in substance abuse, having a personality disorder, and having a history of self-mutilation. This does not limit the occurrence of self-mutilation within other genders or other ages. For example it is not very common that elderly people will self-injure, but there are clinical reports of it occurring in this age group before. The occurrence of self-injury can not be defined to one particular group of people. People who self-mutilate can be survivors of abuse, people who have eating disorders, or people who suffer from substance abuse. It can also occur in homes where there is violence with an inhibition of verbally expressing their emotions, or in a home that loses a parent do to death or divorce. However you can not limit this illness to people who are more susceptible, it also occurs in teachers, medical professionals, lawyers, engineers, and high-achieving high-school students.

People most commonly use self-injury as a coping mechanism; to relieve the tension or distress. People say that self-mutilating lets them “forget” about any feelings that they want to free themselves from. If the person uses the cutting self-mutilation they may feel that seeing the blood gives them a sense of well-being and strength. This would give them a feeling of empowerment, and they feel in control by enduring the pain that they inflict on themselves. Along with the feeling of releasing their tension and frustration there are other factors that can lead to self-injury. One of these factors is the lack or a role model, or the feeling of invalidation. Most people who self injure were chronically invalidated as a child, which led them to having a feeling of worthlessness. In some cases they never learned appropriate ways of expressing their emotions, or learned that emotions were bad and should be avoided. Another factor is the biological predisposition. There is evidence that indicates that self-injurers have specific problems within the brain’s serotonergic system that cause an increase in impulsivity and aggression.

There are four types of self mutilation. The first one, which would be the worst type, is severe self-mutilation. This self-mutilation manifests as extensive body damage. This damage is often irreversible and is not normally repeated. An example of this would be the gouging of the eyes, or amputation. These acts are normally carried out in an intense psychotic state, or intoxicated by illegal substances. The second type of self-mutilation most often occurs in people who are mentally retarded. This type is called stereotyped self-mutilation, because it has a stereotyped and repetitive rhythm. An example of this would be the banging of ones head. The third type of self-mutilation is most commonly seen in the general psychiatric practice. This type is called superficial self-mutilation; it is simply defined as moderate self-mutilation. Some examples of this type of self-mutilation are cutting of the skin, burning, and picking at the skin. These behaviors are most often repetitive. These tendencies are carried out by nonpsychotic and nonmentally retarded patients. The last type of self-mutilation