SELF-INJURY

WHAT WE KNOW

The typical self-injurer is a middle- or upper-class girl who is well-educated and may have been a victim of physical or sexual abuse. Self-injurers generally feel some or all of the following:

• Lack of self-empowerment
• Self-loathing
• Chronic anxiety
• Repressed anger
• Impulsivity
• Hypersensitivity

There are many factors that drive a teen to self-injury.

• It relieves psychological and physiological stress and allows the individual to return to a tolerable emotional baseline quickly.  
• Self-injury is a physical manifestation of the emotional pain someone is feeling inside. Sufferers generally have difficulty discussing and expressing their feelings.  
• Other reasons for self-injury include experiencing self-hatred or guilt, releasing anger or anxiety, or needing an escape or coping mechanism.
• Self-injurers often suffer from other problems, including eating disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, or borderline personality disorder.
• Teens who struggle with substance abuse, depression, difficulty expressing their feelings, and other psychological problems are more likely to injure oneself.

 

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