Self-mutilation is a manifestation of self-harm that occurs most often in children and adolescents. Some young people cannot withstand the pressure exerted on them by their parents and the environment, and seeing no other way to release their stress, they inflict pain on themselves by mutilating themselves. Usually wounds are inflicted in places that are easy to hide under clothing.
Causes of self-harm
The immediate cause of self-harm is usually a serious problem or stressful situation that the person cannot cope with, so they look for a way to release aggression, frustration and tension. Statistically, girls self-injure more often. Sometimes self-harm is caused by some traumatic experience, such as sexual harassment. Therefore, each case of self-mutilation by a young person requires careful care and a careful examination of the reasons for this state of affairs. A young person who feels anger, hatred, and at the same time has a sense of helplessness and harm, often cannot cope with these feelings. He feels fear and confusion, cannot cope with strong, often conflicting emotions. When anxiety, guilt, and other emotions escalate to unbearable levels, sometimes the only option is to inflict pain on yourself. Physical pain then masks psychological pain. Sometimes the cause of self-harm is loneliness and rejection by loved ones or peers. Also, the pressure exerted by the contemporary world and the environment can cause emotional tension so strong that it leads to attempts to self-harm. In any case, self-harm is a scream for help and attention to the problems of the young person. In adults, the causes of self-harm are often even more complex. Some people feel guilty internally and feel the need to punish themselves for real or imaginary offenses. Others feel pleasure in inflicting pain on themselves. Self-mutilation may also be an attempt at emotional blackmail, i.e. psychomanipulation in order to force the environment to behave as expected. Other causes of self-harm include developmental and mental disorders. Many children with autism self-harm, for example by hitting their head against a wall or hitting walls. People with depression, schizophrenia and mental retardation also occasionally harm themselves.
Ways of self-mutilation
Frustrated young people know many ways to inflict pain on themselves and to make wounds impossible to see. The most common self-mutilation is by cutting yourself with razor blades, mostly on the forearms and thighs. Self-mutilating people also use other sharp tools for this purpose, such as razors, knives, scalpels, pieces of glass. Other types of wounds and self-inflicted pain may include scratching to the blood in invisible places (covered with clothing), biting, peeling skin, pulling out hair and eyelashes, swallowing sharp objects (this type of self-harm is often used by prisoners in protest or to get into hospital for escape), intentionally burns, hitting your head or other part of the body on a hard surface, hitting yourself and painfully hitting walls. The pain of self-harm is soothing because you forget about the psychological pain for a while. Self-harm, however, does not solve the problem, and even makes it worse.
Therapy methods in the case of self-harm
Self-mutilation is always a reason to consult a psychiatrist. During therapy, an attempt is made to discover the cause of auto-aggressive behavior so that the patient can understand it and face the problem. In many cases, overworking the problem that caused self-harm causes the behavior to stop. The exception is when the patient feels a clear pleasure in causing himself pain. The goal of self-harm therapy is to find other ways to deal with negative emotions. This applies primarily to young people who are lost in their expectations and overwhelmed by the pressure of the modern world. It is also very important to restore good relations with loved ones, so sometimes the therapy covers all family members. A person seeking psychological relief in inflicting physical pain usually feels a lack of support from their loved ones – when this changes, so does their behavior.