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Copyright Dina Cooper, original location
Self-mutilation (self-injury, self-harm, self-injurious behavior) is a disorder that causes its participants to intentionally harm or inflict pain onto themselves.
Self-mutilation covers a wide range of behaviors, from making shallow cuts on the skin (cutting) to eye enucleation. The severe forms, such as eye enucleation or castration are extremely rare, while cutting accounts for most of the self-harm, followed by burning and then bone-breaking. By definition, self-mutilation does not include suicide attempts, or injury that is incidental to another activity, such as masturbation. In short, it includes injury done with intent to injure, but not to kill.
This definition is taken from the article 'Self-mutilation in Psychiatry - One Patients View' - written by a self defined self-mutilator. An estimated 0.75% of the population engages in 'self-mutilation.' The activity of self injury appears to be a direct result of not having the mental capacity to deal with stress or unpleasant situations or escaping/avoiding non preferred activities.
The majority of self-mutilators are female. They are more likely, than not to have an eating disorder. Some common characteristics of cutters are anxiety, anger, agitation, an irresistible need to cut, cutting alone and in private, and fast but temporary relief after a cutting session. There are documented cases where cutting was viewed as contagious. Cutting outbreaks appear in certain institutions such as prisons and mental hospitals. 'In one correctional institution for girls over 80% of the inmates began to cut, during one outbreak.' (Self Mutilation in Psychiatry)
Self-mutilators have a clear presence on the Internet. There are an active group of self-mutilators (and non mutilators) who subscribe to list servs - discussion groups and utilize them as a source of support and communication and understanding. There are hundreds of articles on line relevant to self injury as well as web sites and bulletin boards.
To get a better understanding of the who's, why's and when's of self-mutilation I subscribed to an electronic discussion group called Bodies Under Siege. This discussion group consisted of people in the age range of 14 to 50+ who are professionals, engineers, teachers, parents, blue collar workers, nurses, counselors and students. One of the goals of Bodies Under Siege is to help support people who are ready to stop. Information regarding the best methods of stopping and how to train yourself to respond differently to stressful or high anxiety situations is often posted. The list administrator has established an incentive program for the members. The member must set a goal and if that goal is met, tokens are sent out to that person.
In my opinion the goals of the discussion group are also to provide inspiration (poems,etc.), motivation (to prevent members from cutting) such as the following 14 reasons not to cut.
Another goal of the group is to provide knowledge. This knowledge can consist of sharing common reasons and methods of self injury and gaining the knowledge that some things such as a condition called fibromyalgia (a muscle disorder with symptoms similar to arthritis) are not uncommon to self-mutilators. Several of the group members had this to say about the condition. 'I also have firbromyalgia. I have no idea if it has ever been connected to si or not.' Another wrote 'Also, I have fibromyalgia. Is it common for this condition and self-injury to be connected?'. Participants of the discussion group - Bodies Under Siege - look forward to responses from the group about individual problems. They are very comfortable questioning and informing members. The members speak openly (and I would assume honestly) about their conditions, lifestyles and self injury tendencies.
I was able to get a first hand account of the kinds of discussions that take place between self-mutilators. Unlike an alcoholic who can attend an AA meeting, self-mutilators have a difficult time getting help for the condition. Also, because the symptoms are often easy to hide (mutilator can simply hide scars/cuts by wearing long sleeves and pants and hide their tendency to cut by doing it alone), self-mutilators can continue for years without anyone knowing that they have a tendency towards self-injurious behavior.
Self-mutilators on the Internet would fit into the category of a virtual community. As discussed in a previous class through an article by Howard Rheingold and class lecture, virtual communities consist of a unique language, social control, norms/values and patterns of interaction. The discussion group Bodies Under Siege has a list of acronyms (a unique language) that most of the subscribers use such as SIB - self-injurious behavior and DDNOS - dissociate disorder not otherwise specified (a diagnosis for people who dissociate in stressful situations). When I subscribed to Bodies Under Siege I was met with a welcome file form the list serv administrator. It consisted of the do's and don'ts netiquette. of using the discussion group.
Although the behavior of self-mutilator may not fall into the category of norms/values of a real society, there is a code of conduct, netiquette, for those who subscribe to this particular discussion group. They include: No flaming (personal attacks), no cross posting or reposting of private correspondence without consent of everyone in the conversation being quoted. When discussing patterns of interaction I find numerous patterns among the subscribers. Although this group serves as a support group, the messages vary from what happened at work/school to members wishing each other luck on a test or job interview as opposed to pleas for help or expressions of concern. I found no significance in the time of day that the list serv was most active. Because the members vary in age and occupation I can understand why the list serv was active at very different times of day and night. The level of participation is generally very heavy. The members seem to be devoted to each other much like a family or group of close friends. The conversations can get very intense. The overall response (of the group) to individual problems is understanding and empathetic. One purpose of the group is to foster understanding, not only among self-mutilators, but also to their families and friends. This type of support is often the only time that this disorder is given a voice. It is defined as male or female, young or old, professional or student. To some degree, the discussion group serves to identify the types of people who suffer from self-mutilation. However, I am thankful that, as in any virtual community, how much you are able to learn about the person is limited to what they want you to know. Factors such as race, religion and culture are withheld. In my opinion, this withholding of information makes it easier for those seeking and giving advice and support to be unbiased.
I came across numerous writings and articles (on the Internet) about self-injurious behavior while I was doing my research. Many of the writings were first hand accounts of the tendencies of self-mutilators. In the writings the authors, usually self-mutilators themselves, give examples of social conditions such as problems in relationships, with family members, at work and at school, that entice them to cut or burn themselves. One author wrote, 'Once, on a March night, I returned to my hotel room in a state of extreme psychic distress. I found suicide inviting, but could not bear to abandon my children. I found myself searching for a sharp blade, but could not find one (I had packed only what was needed for a short stay). Finally, I put a disposable razor into my mouth and bit down hard, freeing the blade within. I was frightened as well, because I felt I was slipping out of control. I had no more idea of what that hand with the blade would do than if it were the hand of another person. I gently dragged the blade over my body, taking in how it felt. When it felt right, I pushed it hard against my skin and slid it along. I cut again and again and again... To my great surprise, the tension and anxiety eased. I felt some pain, but also a powerful almost erotic pleasure. Who would have thought that one would become hooked after the first try'. (This is a rare case where feelings of suicide are linked to self-injury). They also describe the shame and embarrassment they feel when situations get so out of control that they can only feel relief by inflicting harm onto themselves.
Back in February of this year (1998) 20/20 aired a show about self-mutilation. The members of Bodies Under Siege, as a majority, did not like the way the media portrayed self-mutilators. The overall opinion of the group was that people, including Barbara Walters, make unfair and often unproven judgements about self-mutilators - why they do it. They also did not like the idea of using Princess Diana as an example of a self-mutilator.
No one is proud of themselves for their inability to handle stress and anxiety in the same manners as the majority of the population but they also do not agree that it helps them in anyway to be ridiculed by the media, family and/or friends.
One of the great benefits of being a member of this virtual community of self-mutilators is the ability to interact with people who can relate to your condition. They understand the desires to injury yourself. They understand the inability to handle stress and tension caused by your family, school, romantic relationships, etc.
I am happy that I had the opportunity to research a group that I knew absolutely nothing about. When I began my research I had the same opinion that many people unfamiliar with this disorder have-only crazy people would hurt themselves intentionally, only people who are starving for attention would do something so bizarre (although that is often the case). Over the last few months I have had the opportunity to learn more about both the individual personalities and self-mutilators as a whole. I found that many of them are the same as you and I. Everyone deals with high-anxiety or unpleasant situations in his/her own way. Some people drink hot tea, some exercise and some seek religious inspiration and some people injure themselves. People such as alcoholics or compulsive gamblers can call a hot line to find out where the local meeting is for their condition. The local meeting place for self-mutilators just happens to be on-line.
Bodies Under Siege electronic discussion group [palace.net]
"Self-mutilation in Psychiatry" - One PatientsView [bme.freeq.com]
Secret Shame [palace.net]
Practical help and research findings on at-risk-issues [uq.edu.au]
Self-Mutiation [cyberhighway.net]
Self-Injury [mindspring.com]
Self-Injury [cyberpsych.com]
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