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SELF-INJURYThe best definition of Self-Injury is deliberately hurting yourself without actually attempting suicide. Some people self-injure in order to cope during an emotionally difficult time. It helps them feel better temporarily because of the physical expression and the release of the tension they hold inside. In other's, it produces a chemical change in their bodies that makes them feel happier and more relaxed. The majority of people who self-injure are women in their teens to thirties. They are typically intelligent and well-educated, and all too often have been subjected to physical or sexual abuse, or raised by a person who was alcoholic. Some of the characteristics of those who self-injure are a strong dislike of themselves, hypersensitive to rejection, chronically angry at themselves, act in accordance with their mood of the moment, depressed and self-destructive, suffer chronic anxiety, tend toward irritability, and do not see themselves as empowered. Self-Injury can make a person feel powerful, or in control. But it can also make the person feel guilty for "being a sicko," or shameful for having done it. These things can lead the person into bad relationships and other non-healthy situations. Self-Injury also causes physical damage to the person's body, leaving the possibility for infection and/or tetanus. How do you know if you self-injure? Ask yourself these questions. Do you deliberately cause physical harm to yourself to the extent of causing tissue damage? Do you do this in order to deal with unpleasant emotions, dissociation, or obsessive thoughts? If you answered yes to these questions, you are a self-injurer. How you injure yourself isn't important. Recognizing that you do, and getting the professional help you need is. Self-Injury seems to be a common occurrence for those with Bipolar Disorder. This could be due to the similarity of the symptoms. Unfortunately, there is no specific research dedicated to finding a common factor. Self-Injury can also be associated with other disorders that frequently co-occur with Bipolar Disorder, such as Borderline Personality Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
BY RICHARD SUTPHEN
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 BipolarConnection
2001 - 2008
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