by Toadee

Created on: March 21, 2007   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

For those who have never self injured or felt inclined to do so it must be extremely difficult to understand.

An often used cry when people hear about self injury is that it is for attention and I have to say that there are times that this is true but it begs the question, why does this person meed to go to such lengths for attention? and we should be talking to the person to try to support them in understanding and addressing their needs.

Another reason for self injury is because of lack of self esteem. The strength of self loathing can drive a person to attack themself as unworthy.

Experience of sexual abuse may lead to self injury partly because of the feeling of dirtiness and disgust that victims can feel for themselves and partly because by scarring themselves they make themselves undesirable and therefore safer from future abuse.
Survivors of abuse can also see self injury as something THEY have control over in a world where they feel that they are controlled and misused by others.

there are people who suffer from such intense psychological pain that the only way they can gain relief is to feel physical pain, the cut of the blade or the heat of the flame effectively banishing, for a while, the deep hurt inside.

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