It used to be that self mutilation was commonly seen in eating disorders and people with Borderline Personality Disorders, or had been sexually abused as a child, but these days, it seems like a lot more people are participating in this dangerous act.
People who usually self injure: * strongly dislike themselves * do not take rejection well * are constantly angry, usually at themselves * tend to hide their true feelings and their anger * have high levels of aggression * are impulse in nature * tend not to plan for the future * are depressed or suicidal * suffer from a high amount of anxiety * seem to be often irritable * do not have good coping skills * do not have a flexible repertoire of coping skills * do not think they have much control over anything * tend to be socially avoidant
Types of self-injurious behavior reported were as follows: Cutting: 72 percent Burning: 35 percent Self-hitting: 30 percent Interference w/wound healing: 22 percent Hair pulling: 10 percent Bone breaking: 8 percent Multiple methods: 78 percent (included in above)
There are a lot of reasons why people self-injure. In the case of a person who has been sexually abused, cutting may be a way of gaining some control. A self-injurer might console themselves with the statement "Now I control my pain, not my abuser." In the case of people with eating disorders, it is usually an issue of low self esteem and a lot of self hatred. Cutting also has a ritualistic feel to it, something people with eating disorders are already intimate with. Some people self injure to block out their pain, some do it to feel pain. Some people do it as a cry for help or attention. They are in a lot of pain and they want people to sit up and take notice.
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