myths
about self injury
It is very easy to misunderstand self-injury if you
do not suffer with the problem yourself. Many self injurers
themselves do not understand why exactly it is that they cut
themselves. Because of the nature of self injury, people tend
to jump to very quick conclusions.
- Self Injury is NOT a series of failed suicide
attempts - those who self injure do so more to 'cope' than as a way
out - a way of dying. In that way this myth is the worst as it
is give totally the opposite meaning. It is true that many
self injurers contemplate suicide as an extreme option. Many
do suffer with the same kinds of illnesses that those who commit
suicide do. However self injury is not done with the intention
to kill oneself.
- Self Injury is NOT pure attention seeking - while
it may be right that those who do self injure may *need* attention,
self injury must not be interpreted as a means of calling attention
to oneself. Those who do self injure often do so in such
secretive ways that those very close to them have no idea of their
problem. Interpreting self injury as attention seeking can
only make things worse for the self injurer.
- Some Self Injury is minor - this does NOT mean
that it is not serious - the severity of the person's feelings and
reasons behind SI cannot be determined by the severity of a cut/burn
etc...
- Self Injurers are NOT crazy - while many people
with psychological problems may self injure, and self injury is
sometimes accompanied by depression, the psychological problem of
self injury does not always accompany any other disorder. Self
injury is a problem in its own right, and may be regarded by those
who have had no experience of it to be a sign of craziness. To
other people it may be 'crazy' - to a self injurer it is the way
they live.
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