|
Why do people self harm?
I can't tell you how many times I read questions about people who are asking about their self harming. I don't get why people would this. And the worst part is they ask it in a very matter of fact way. Honestly, it makes me really upset when I read these things. I almost tear up
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
I have recovered from self harming myself and I haven't in 6 months. I guess the reason I did it was because in the beginning I felt like I had control over something for the first time. But after a while of doing it it became and addiction. I had no control over it and sometimes when I was just mad at people I would cut myself. I felt like I needed to punish myself. Sometimes I just craved it. I would crave it in certain spots too. It's really hard to describe the reasoning for it. This was probably not helpful at all but I tried oh well
]
As others have said, it's a way to get an illusion of control over your situation, when you feel like you have none.
In that sense, it's similar to substance abuse. Even if you are making something 'bad' happen, you are at least in complete control of it. That can be comforting for some people.
There is also more and more scientific evidence that self harm 'feels' very good to some people.
(I'm not sure what rainhorse68 was trying to get at with the "laws of physics" because it has nothing to do with the study of physics. It's a physiological, biological or cognitive phenomena).
A lot of studies have been done looking the brains of people who self-harm, and it's very clear that many people experience a calming sensation or find the pain genuinely pleasant. This could be because endorphins are released in the brain when the body is hurt, or could just be the way some people are wired differently than others. Either way, that makes self-harm like self-medicating for some. They experience very genuine release and less stress after doing it.
Of course, that doesn't make it okay, but I think it might help you if you realize most people who self-harm are not trying to kill themselves, or trying to get attention. The vast majority really do find it a positive experience. Obviously, it's not a good habit and people who do self-harm should be strongly encouraged to find healthier ways to manage their stress and negative emotions, but there is no reason for you to get really upset. People who self-harm deserve respect and understanding for the habit, even while explaining to them why its not the most effective way to get the release they are looking for.
]
It is indeed a psychological 'coping mechanism'. An act which reinforces a sense of control, the ability to 'feel' and there is often a strong link with a deisre for some kind of 'self-punishment'. A physical realisation of 'beating yourself up' mentally. The act becomes compulsive, addictive. Why do some people do it? When apparently it is so 'easy' to explain? And you would assume, equally 'easy' to talk them out of. Let's take a lateral thought. Ever looked ahead on a long straight, road...on a hot sunny day? And the road in the distance looks wet, or even as though it ends in a lake? Common enough, it's called a 'mirage'. OK. Go online, or get a book from a library and learn EXACTLY how the laws of physics create this phenomonon. Alright, you understand it completely now....but despite all your undertanding YOU WILL STILL SEE MIRAGES! Where am I going with this, you may well ask? In short, certain mental (often behavioural) mechanisms do not 'work' on a level which is controlled by or can be 'spoken to' as it were, by the higher intellectual powers of our brain. They are more fundamental, deeper. Beyond the probing of a simple 'question-answer' or 'problem-solution' approach. Which is what behavioural psychology is all about. If this stuff interests you strongly (you say it upsets you...you'd like to 'help' people in this predicament, maybe?) then you may be looking at your future career. Why not??
]
Like everyone else said, it's a way to control and a way to cope with their emotions.
It's a horrible thing to go through and it's really good that you don't understand. If you understood, then that would mean that you felt what they felt and nobody wants to feel that way. (Unless you took classes and learned about depression and such)
Anyways, there are so many reasons why people self harm. To generalize it up, most of the reasons have to do with control and depression.
]
It's a way for some people to feel like they are in control of their own life. When I used to hurt myself, I would do it because I was angry and I needed an outlet to channel my anger. Now I've found less harmful ways to deal with anger. It was also normal for girls back in the day to harm themselves if they had been sexually abused.
]
Self harm is a way for people to feel in control of themselves and there emotions. Pain makes them feel alive when they feel completely dead inside. Deep down they know its wrong and they should stop but they cant because its almost an addiction.
]
More Questions: |