March 1st is Self injury awareness day
Many people when they feel stressed will go for a walk or have a drink, or perhaps find talking with a friend or family member helps. Some will come and see me and find my hypnotherapy CD helps them unwind and sleep better.
Some though have found that banging their head against a wall or cutting their arm with a knife drawing blood in the process is the first port of call. Mostly carried out by the young (older people hide it by banging their head!) it was originally believed to be the result of attention seeking, but now research has been looking into why these people report it makes them feel better.
Research from a university hospital in the USA found that for some people they were simply hard-wired to like pain (the pleasure centers send out endorphin’s if they know they may suffer pain), and for others it was the sense of relief, which might last hours. It is the removal of shock or a bully, or an emotional difficulty that triggers the sense of relief in the brain and body. Those with too much negative thoughts or emotions use the physical pain to reduce the mental pain as it turns out that both are processed in the same brain areas.
Pain reliever chemicals like acetaminophen also relieve emotional pain, so once they find that the physical harm to themselves helps with fighting the emotional pain, it can spiral out of control. It has also been found that this behaviour can lead to an increased risk in suicide.
Often it’s because the person does not have the ability to verbalise how they feel, or have someone they feel they can confide in, but if you know anyone who shows signs of self harm, then helping them find a safe way to release that tension is the best route.