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Women & Self-Harm © Threshold Women's Mental Health Initiative Self-Harm/Self Injury - What is it? The term self harm is generally used to describe all aspects of self harm, self injury and attempted suicide. Self injury is a specific form of self harm where people inflict wounds upon themselves. The most common forms of self injury are cutting and burning, but there are many other ways of inflicting bodily damage. The National Self Harm Network states, Self-injury is NOT attempted suicide, they have an intimate relationship but are different. Self injury often represents the prevention of a suicidal period and is one way of averting suicide. Self-injury may actually be a survival strategy and is frequently the least possible amount of damage and represents extreme self-restraint. A diminishing sense of worth may culminate in suicide as its ultimate expression. People who self-injure are statistically at a greater risk of going on to commit suicide. Why women? Both women and men self-injure, but young women far outnumber men in terms of self-injury. There are many possible reasons for this, associated with the different experiences, roles and perceptions applied to women and men in society. What is clear from talking to women who self injure is that it is linked with (chronically) low self-esteem. The majority of women who self-harm say the self harming immediately follows feelings of either emotional pain (sadness, grief, hopelessness and desperation), self-hatred (shame, guilt, dirtiness) or anger (frustration, powerlessness). Self-injury can be a way of achieving a sense of power and control over these feelings. Women who self-harm say that it is easier to cope with the physical pain than their emotional pain. 57% of women who self harm said that it provided relief from their feelings.* Self-injury is often a way of dealing with the pain of past abuse – physical scars can be a symbol of hidden pain. So, self-injury is a way of expressing hurt- how else do you say 'inside I feel my soul is dying'? It is a physical manifestation of extreme distress. As women we are more used to responding to the needs of others rather than our own. We may feel ashamed and punish ourselves for our own feelings of need. Often young girls grow up feeling responsible for the violence and abuse they receive. This can be a child’s way of remaining powerful – if you think it’s your fault then you remain powerful in the face of abuse, if you think it’s your abuser’s fault you lose any sense of power. As women we often hate our bodies. Self-injury may be a way of controlling and punishing one’s body while at the same time being an act of defiance, an assertion of the right to do as we please with our own body. What will help me?
How Can I Help Myself?
Useful Contacts Bristol Crisis Service For Women 0117 925 1119 (Fri & Sat 9pm-12.30am) Charity responding to needs of women in emotional distress with a particular focus on self-injury. Offer a helpline and also support self-help groups, offer training and publish literature. National Self Harm Network PO Box 16190, London, NW1 3WW Survivor-led organisation committed to campaigning for the rights and understanding of people who self-injure. Samaritans 0345 90 90 90 The Samaritans offer 24 hours a day crisis line. Newsletters SHOUT Self-Harm Overcome by Understanding and Tolerance C/o PO Box 654 Bristol BS99 1XH England WAVES Women Making Waves About Abuse C/o 82 Colston Street Bristol BS1 5BB England Penfriend Network SASH Survivors of Abuse and Self-Harming 20 Lackmore Road Enfield Middlesex EN14PB England Reading List The Self-Harm Help Book by Lois Arnold and Anne Magill A book for people who self-harm. What's the Harm A book for young people who self harm. Both the above books available from: Green Leaf Bookshop 82 Colston Street Bristol BS15BB Tel: 0117 921 1369 Vicious Circles by Dianne Harrison An exploration of women and self harm in society. Available from Good Practices in Mental Health, 380-384 Harrow Road, London. The Hurt Yourself Less Workbook A workbook written by people who self injure for people who self-injure. It aims to help you understand it better and to be kinder to yourself. Available from National Self-Harm Network PO Box 16190 London, NW1 3WW *: Findings of research with 76 women by Lois Arnold, Bristol Crisis Service for Women Threshold's National InfoLine for Women and Mental Health is open from 2pm until 5pm from Monday to Thursday. We welcome all calls concerning women's mental health or emotional distress. This factsheet was last revised in July 1999. Comments and feedback are welcome. Threshold Women's Mental Health Initiative 14 St Georges Place Brighton BN1 4GB Fax: 01273 626444 Email: thrwomen@globalnet.co.uk Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information in these factsheets they are not intended to be relied upon as an authoritative statement of the law. Threshold cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Top of page Webmaster: wulff@ratatosk.net |