Trauma and Self-Harming Behavior

Traumatic events, especially those that happen when you are young, have the potential of disrupting your life in significant ways. One disturbing way that people cope with the emotions and memories is to self-harm or self-mutilate. To many this kind of behavior seems unimaginable. To those who have suffered extreme abuse and torture as children, especially those clients whom I see with severe dissociative disorders, this behavior can be a significant, albeit painful, coping strategy.

In this article I discuss who is at risk of hurting themselves through self-harm or self-mutilation due to mental distress. I also offer some explanations as to why people engage in these behaviors.

In the next article I discuss alternate ways to cope with and address unpleasant feelings and memories.

How is Self-Harming Done?

Self-harming behaviors can occur through various strategies; most of these are not intended to lead to death. Those who self-harm, however, can become suicidal and visa versa. Some of the more commonself-harming behaviors are superficial cutting on any part of the body, burning or risky sexual behaviors.

Who is at Risk?

People, who are risk of these behaviors, cover a wide range of mental health diagnoses and life experiences. I believe, however, that they share the common experience of trauma at a young age. Childhood abuse and early sexual or physical abuse seem to be a common experiences of those who self-mutilate. As adults they may be diagnosed with eating disorders, depression, anxiety and borderline personality. Of those who have experienced trauma at a young age, teens, young adults- especially those who have friends who self-harm, females and substance abusers tend to be at a higher risk of self-harm. In my practice, those who are at highest risk are clients who experience a high degree of dissociation.

Dissociation

Dissociation gives these clients a sense that they are separate from themselves and/or environment. Some are severely detached from their physical or emotional experiences. They tell me that they do not feel real, as though their body must belong to someone else or that it is numb. Objects in their environment feel unreal. As a result of the dissociation, they have significant memory loss for important events or people. They not remember a wedding or birth of a child. As a way to cope with a very traumatic childhood, they may create more than one personality, each of whom has a unique way of acting and thinking.

Reasons to Self-Harm

There are a wide range of reasons why a person would self-mutilate. While the reasons that I present here are characteristic of those who are dissociated, I believe that most also apply to people with other mental health diagnoses or life experiences.

1. Manage Feelings: Letting themselves feel anger, shame, self-hatred or being out of control can seem extremely threatening and terrifying. Past experiences may have taught them that to show these feelings could lead to even worse consequences. By self-harming they believe they can avoid these painful feelings and get a sense a relief and well-being.
2. Manage memories of traumatic events: Due to the intensity of the memories, reminders of the past may seem to intrude their thinking non-stop. Self-mutilation may help them to escape from or get a sense of control over these memories. Seen in this light from the perspective of the client, self-harming appears to be a form of protection.
3. Self-punishment: Many of my dissociated clients grow up believing the message of their abusers: they were bad and deserved to be treated cruelly. When this message gets stored in the subconscious mind, it can lead to pervasive sense of also being bad as an adult. Without being consciously aware that they still believe themselves to be bad, clients repeat the behavior they knew as a child.
4. Relieve tension of chronic psychic pain: Many dissociated clients, whom I see, experience, chronic mental torment or anguish. This pain can seem unbearable and something to be endured as it does not respond to medicines given for physical pain. By focusing on the act of cutting or burning, for example, their attention goes to another kind of pain and away from the original source of distress.

How Long Do the Effects Last?

Like a drug, the effects of self-harming may last only several minutes or hours. Unfortunately, some clients see the benefits of this behavior to be great enough so that it becomes an addiction. Self-mutilation happens repeatedly injuring layer after layer of their body. The scars that remain can last a lifetime.

Summary

• Mental distress that has its origins in feeling overwhelmed by traumatic life experiences in childhood, can lead some people to engage in self-harming behaviors.
• Self-mutilation behaviors include cutting, burning and risky sexual behaviors
• Reasons for self-harming behavior includes
  • Coping with unpleasant feelings
  • Dealing with disturbing memories
  • Inflicting self-punishment
  • Relieving mental torment

Getting Help

If you are concerned that you are at risk of self-mutilation or already engage in this behavior, please seek mental health support.

Many counselors in the United States are listed in Psychology Today at www.PsychologyToday.com

Another resource is to find a therapist who specializes in trauma at the Somatic Experiencing Training Institute at www.TraumaHealing.com

Your local mental health center or psychiatrist may also be able to assist you.