by Ms. Glenda Bell

Created on: February 24, 2009

Self mutilation is becoming a growing epidemic in the United States. Parents BEWARE...(Self injury is the act of attempting to alter mood state by inflicting harm serious enough to cause tissue damage to ones body.) This can come in the form of carving, scratching, branding, marking, burning, pulling of hair, or skin. There are many forms of Self mutilation.

Peer pressure, over achievers, and those who feel they are never good enough, have found a new way to vent their feelings. Whether it be low self esteem, or the fact that they are emotionally overwhelmed, self mutilation is a quick release. Self harm will bring their levels of anxiety, arousal, or tension back to base level almost immediately.

When a strong urge, or uncomfortable emotion arises and they don't know how to cope with it, hurting themself will reduce the emotional discomfort very quickly. Even though they may feel shame or feel bad, they will have temporarily relieved that trapped feeling.

One common factor in self mutilation, is that the person was never given a chance to express themself, without critizism. No matter what their interpretations were pr what their feelings were, they were either bad or wrong. They may not have been allowed to express anger, or show emotions, and if they did, they were punished. In the same respect, they didn't have good role models, to teach them how to act or react in a proper manner. It's hard to learn how to cope with distress, if the people around you are having a difficult time coping themself.

Self mutilation often happens to children who grow up in abusive homes. But, this is not always the case. There may be a history of abuse, but not all victims are self mutilaters. There is also evidence to support the fact, that all self mutilators were not abused.

There are no cultural barriers, or economic barriers that determine who will harm themself in this manner. They come from all economic structures, though the majority come from, middle to upper class families. Both rich and poor, dropout or college graduates can become self mutilators. It becomes their way to function in daily life.

It is suspected that saratonin, a chemical in the brain, may make some people predisposed to become self injurers. Seratonin may make them more agressive and impulsive. Add that to the belief that they are bad or wrong and they may turn on themself. It then becomes a vicous cycle. Self blame, self injury, self guilt. Other researchers have the theory that self mutilation also releases

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