Why would someone intentionally injure themselves multiple times? Could this be a symptom of a mental or behavioral health disorder? Is self-harm addictive?
What Is Self-Harm?
Self-harm refers to several behaviors that involve the intentional infliction of pain or damage to your own body. Examples of common types of self-harm include:
- Cutting your own skin
- Inserting needles or other objects into or under your skin
- Intentionally burning yourself
- Pulling out your hair
- Punching yourself
- Hitting your head or other body parts against walls or other hard objects
- Exercising excessively
Self-harm is also referred to as self-injury, self-mutilation, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI).
As that last term emphasizes, self-harm is not a suicidal behavior. However, these type of actions are clearly dangerous, and it is possible for someone to accidentally die as a result of them.
Also, someone who self-harms has an elevated risk of suicidal behaviors. A small study involving adolescents in an inpatient psychiatric center who self-harmed found that 70% had also made at least one attempt to end their life, and 55% had made multiple attempts.
This underscores the importance of identifying people who are engaging in or at risk of self-harm, and connecting them with appropriate professional care.
Is Self-Harm Addictive?
Is self-harm addictive? It can be a compulsive behavior, but it does not meet the definition of addiction.
From a clinical perspective, the term addiction is reserved for the uncontrolled abuse of alcohol and other drugs. For actions involving self-harm, sex, gambling, or spending, experts typically use the term compulsive behavior.
However, there are several similarities between the compulsion to self-harm and addiction:
- Both involve powerful urges and an inability to control one’s behavior.
- Both may begin as a means of dealing with stress.
- Both can be associated with a variety of mental health concerns.
- Both are frequently misunderstood.
Perhaps most importantly, both addiction and self-harm are treatable.
Why Do People Self-Harm?
People who intentionally harm themselves may do so for many reasons, such as:
- They feel they have lost (or never had) control of their life. Injuring or inflicting pain on their own body is an attempt to establish some sense of control.
- They believe they are inherently flawed and are attempting to punish themselves for their perceived shortcomings.
- They feel that they have failed in some way, and the self-harm is a punishment for that failure.
- They have been experiencing psychological distress that they aren’t capable of dealing with. Self-harm can be a misguided attempt to give a physical presence to their emotional suffering.
- Their self-harm is a symptom of an anxiety disorder, a depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), or another mental health condition.
How Can You Tell if Someone is Self-Harming?
People who self-harm may go to great lengths to hide evidence of their behavior. This can make it difficult, but by no means impossible, to tell if someone in your life has been intentionally hurting themselves.
If you suspect that a friend or family member may be self-harming, keep an eye out for signs such as:
- Frequent bruises, broken bones, or other injuries
- Cuts, abscesses, or sores that never seem to heal
- Always having a razor blade, knife, or other sharp object with them
- Wearing long sleeves or long pants, even in hot weather
- Refusing to go swimming or change clothes in front of other people
- Having trouble managing stress or responding to setbacks
- Insulting, speaking poorly about, or otherwise being extremely critical of themselves
Anyone who has been intentionally harming themselves should be evaluated by a doctor or another qualified healthcare provider. People can overcome the urge to self-harm, but they may need professional help to do so.
How Is Self-Harm Treated?
The best type of treatment for someone who has been self-harming can depend on several factors, such as:
- The patient’s age, developmental level, and treatment history
- If the self-harm is related to a mental health disorder (and, if so, which one)
- If the patient has a history of abuse, neglect, or other types of trauma
- If the patient has been abusing (or has become addicted to) alcohol or another drug
Based on these and other relevant factors, a person may be best served by receiving care for self-harm at one or more of the following levels:
The elements of care that are included in treatment for self-harm may include:
- Psychiatric medication
- Genetic testing
- Individual psychotherapy
- Group therapy sessions
- Family therapy
- Red light therapy
- Biosound therapy
- Somatic therapy
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
With so many variables, it can be crucial to find a provider that will conduct a thorough assessment to identify the full scope of the patient’s needs, and then use the information from that assessment to develop a truly customized treatment plan.
Find Treatment for Self-Harm in Nashville
If you have been unable to control the compulsion to harm yourself, Arbor Wellness is here to help.
Our treatment center in Nashville, Tennessee, is a trusted provider of personalized mental health services at the residential, PHP, and IOP levels. We also offer dual diagnosis programming for those whose mental health concerns are accompanied by addictions to alcohol and other drugs.
To learn more, or to schedule a free assessment for yourself or a loved one, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.
