March 1st is International Self Injury Awareness Day

What do these high profile individuals have in common? Singer, Fiona Apple; Comedian, Russell Brand; Actress, Drew Barrymore; Actor, Johnny Depp; Actor, Colin Farrell; Actress, Megan Fox; Actress, Angelina Jolie; Singer, Demi Lovato and Princess Diana....Before finding emotional health, they struggled with self-injury.Self-Injury is a deliberate, non-suicidal behavior that inflicts physical harm on one ' s body to relieve emotional distress. Self-injury has a paradoxical effect in that the pain self-inflicted actually sets off an endorphin rush, relieving the self-harmer from deep distress. It ' s important to note that self-injury does not involve a conscious intent to commit suicide - and as such, the clinical term for this behavior is called Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI),  NSSI can take many forms from cutting, picking, burning, bruising, puncturing, embedding, scratching or hitting one ' s self, just to name a few.In its simplest form, NSSI is a physical solution to an emotional wound. Generally, it is a deliberate, private act that is habitual in occurrence, not attention-seeking behavior, nor meant to be manipulative. Self-injurers are often secretive about their behaviors, rarely letting others know, and often cover up their wounds with clothing, bandages, or jewelry.Symbolically speaking, deliberately injuring one ' s self can be viewed as a method to communicate what cannot be spoken. With self-harm, the skin is the canv...
Source: Dr. Deborah Serani - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Tags: awareness campaigns awareness days non-suicidal self-injury Source Type: blogs