PSYCHOTRAUMA AND SELF-INJECTING BEHAVIOR FUNCTIONS

Video: PSYCHOTRAUMA AND SELF-INJECTING BEHAVIOR FUNCTIONS

Video: PSYCHOTRAUMA AND SELF-INJECTING BEHAVIOR FUNCTIONS
Video: How to control emotion and influence behavior | Dawn Goldworm | TEDxEast 2024, March
PSYCHOTRAUMA AND SELF-INJECTING BEHAVIOR FUNCTIONS
PSYCHOTRAUMA AND SELF-INJECTING BEHAVIOR FUNCTIONS
Anonim

Self-injurious behavior is a concept that covers a fairly diverse range of actions that are associated with purposeful physical damage to one's own body.

The most common ways to damage your body are cuts with a knife, razor, needle, or other sharp object.

When the term "self-harming behavior" is used, it generally refers to non-suicidal self-harm that has the following characteristics:

- intentionality;

- repeatability;

- purposefulness;

- social unacceptability;

- lack of suicidal intentions and plans.

Psychological trauma, in particular as a result of childhood or sexual abuse, is a predisposing factor for both suicidal intentions and attempts and non-suicidal self-harm.

There are at least four self-harm functions directly related to trauma:

- restoration of physiological and emotional balance through the act of self-harm, when the sight of one's own blood calms, tension is relieved or significantly reduced, there is a feeling of control over the emotional state and physical sensations;

- actual or symbolic dramatization of trauma, when the act of self-harm acts as a means to feel physical pain, to reconstruct the trauma situation in one's own body;

- expression of feelings and needs, when self-harm is a way to release negative emotions (anger, guilt, shame, disappointment), a way of self-punishment and a message about emotional pain and the need for calming;

- management of dissociative phenomena, when the act of self-harm either stops the state of dissociation, or activates it.

In all the variants described, we are talking about the functions of psychological regulation, which are performed by self-harm in relation to traumatic experience.

In addition, intersubjective and intrasubjective functions of self-harm are distinguished. Intersubjective functions include the termination of dissociation, which is a frequent response of the psyche to a traumatic event, and the reduction of negative emotions. Intrasubjective functions are aimed at regulating relationships with other people, provoking help and support, attracting attention and establishing close relationships.

Thus, trauma is one of the main etiological mechanisms for the development of self-harming behavior, and childhood cruelty and sexual abuse are considered as a factor predisposing to non-suicidal self-harm.

Self-harm often intensifies negative experiences associated with trauma, and the actions associated with self-harm can be experienced extremely negatively, provoke feelings of guilt, inadequacy, thus, more severe forms of dissociation are triggered and the destructive method becomes almost the only means of self-regulation in the trauma's repertoire. psyche.

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