Self-Injury Disorder – Myths and Treatment

I would never call myself a cutter. Girls go through different phases when they’re growing up, when they’re miserable and do different things, whether it’s an eating disorder or they dabble in cutting," she told the Rolling Stone magazine on being asked whether she was a cutter.

Megan Fox is not the only one, but there are many who have inflicted torture on themselves. It is not that they had to undergo a self-injury disorder treatment in Los Angeles, but celebs like Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Russell Brand, Lindsay Lohan and others too have openly admitted that at some point in their lives they were involved in self-injury.

Self-injury disorder

A self-injury disorder is a mental condition which can be found in children, teens and adults alike and can have a lasting impact on the person concerned. It is defined as something which is done deliberately inflicting harm to oneself in the form of slitting, head banging, self-scratching, and any other form of self-torture.

The self-injury disorder is an unhealthy and harmful way to cope with extreme emotional turmoil, frustration and anger. Self-torture is often an outburst of a person going through a phase of self-hatred for any reason. Such people inflict torture on themselves because they do not feel good about themselves and intrinsically harbor a feeling of worthlessness.

Who’s prone to self-injury?

Self-injury is not related to education, race, age, sexual orientation or socioeconomic strata of a victim. Its occurrence is more common among adolescent girls, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), drug addicts, those having a history of emotional, sexual and physical abuse, people who were inherently taught to repress anger, and those who are less expressive of their emotions and do not have any support system. Pent up emotions often rupture and result in self-injury in people.

Myths about self-torture

If you enquire about treatment in the United States, be it the self-injury disorder treatment in California or a remote borough, there are quite a few misconceptions around self-torture. Some of the most common myths associated with self-torture are as below:

Myth 1: Those indulging in self-torture are attention seekers and want to hog the limelight.

Myth 2: Self-torturing people are dangerous and eccentric.

Myth 3: They want to die and disappear from this world.

Identifying the symptoms of self-torture

To have somebody with this tendency in the house is a risky proposition and seeking help at the outset would be the most appropriate step in addressing the issue. If you notice the following signs in a loved one, take it is as a warning signal and initiate necessary steps:

• Scars or injury marks on the body for which he or she has no explanation.
• Stains of blood on bedsheets, clothes, towels, tissues etc.
• On seeing possessions like sharp objects, including knives, razors, needles, bottle caps etc.
• Spending considerably longer time in bathroom or bedroom and wanting to be alone most part of the day.
• Remaining aloof and seeking isolation from others in the family.

On finding any of these symptoms, seek immediate advice from doctors and start necessary treatment. Your love, understanding and unflinching support will help the patient get fully cured and start leading a normal life like any mentally healthy individual.