Self Cutting

Even though our bodies are in one place, our minds may be in another. In Martha Stout’s essay “When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday,” the author introduces us to the idea of dissociation. Dissociation is when one’s mind is away from the body and he or she does not know what is going on in the physical world. Those that have traumatic histories may experience this. But because of dissociation, victims may not know if they had a traumatic past because a memory of it never really formed. Stout also finds that individuals may use dissociation as a way to protect themselves from trauma. Sometimes the slightest and smallest piece of a traumatic memory may bring into play the dissociation. When these individuals experience dissociation

Dissociation is a major psychophysiological reaction to traumatization as it can happen at any moment (Levin, 2016). Dissociation is a safety-oriented cognitive mechanism process of distancing and detachment in which the individual attempts to avoid memories. What occurs is that men and women engaged in intimate and/or sexual intercourse without affection or even liking the partner they are with. Instead they are focused on certain body parts rather than the person as a whole.

People are exposed to struggles in life on a daily basis, although some individuals’ experiences are more traumatic than others’. The way people react to their challenges differs with trauma as well. In Daniel Gilbert’s Immune to Reality, Gilbert describes the psychological immune system, which is a defense mechanism of the mind. The psychological immune system is recognized as a way for the brain to find ways to deal with the harsh realities of life. Contrastingly, Martha Stout in When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday focuses on dissociation, which is common in people who have experienced trauma. It is similar to Gilbert’s psychological immune system, as they are both mental systems of defense, but instead of helping an individual cope with hard times, dissociation causes complete separation of the mind from the body as an escape from reality. Dissociation from non-traumatic events is harmful to people’s psychological well-being because it makes

It is expected after a disastrous event that a person will go through these tough moments and thus should be understood and they should be given time to heal back into their normal lives. However, there are cases where these symptoms go on for more than the expected

In Tony Dokoupil’s article about “the suicide epidemic” He talks about how suicide is the highest rate of “injury death” in the US and how the CDC believes that is surpasses the number of deaths from car crashes. He also goes on to quote Ralph Nader saying, “we have become our own greatest danger” (par 16). Suicidal thoughts and tendencies are also a heightened risk that could lead to serious injury or even death. For some self harm could be severely cutting or scratching their skin as well as burning or puncturing their skin with foreign objects, but others slam themselves into walls, hit things, or bang their head against something. All these things could be potentially dangerous because of the risk of brain damage, broken bones, and severe bleeding. Each of these things could either cause death, or hospitalization. Sometimes people also get addicted to self harm the way others get addicted to nicotine or drugs, if they go for long periods of time without hurting themselves in a way they deem fit they start going into withdrawals. However physical risks aren’t the only types of

Avoidance and numbing represent a flight response to stimuli associated with the traumatic event(s). In fact, avoiding people,

Emotional numbness and avoidance of places, people, and activities that are reminders of the trauma.

Dissociation can be incredibly damaging when it occurs due to non- traumatic events. Most people have experienced dissociation to a certain extent,

Some people who suffer from dissociation and its negative experiences do so due to a history of childhood abuse, like Julia, one of the author’s patients, which most often leads them to believe they can hide away their selves: “Because children dissociate readily…they easily split their consciousness into pieces. The self is put aside and hidden....This coping strategy becomes dysfunctional only later, after the child is grown and away from the original trauma...But through the years of intensive use, the self-protective strategy has developed a hair trigger…” (Pg. 391) Probably the worst consequences people can experience from dissociation are when their dissociation becomes chronic and horrifically persistent, which is another reason why it becomes such a detrimental experience in their lives. During this level of dissociation, the patient begins to behave self-injurious and habituates addictive behaviors in order to gain a temporary relief. At this stage, dissociation becomes so continual that it begins to limit the patient’s perceptions. This is evidently displayed by Julia when she poses one of the best questions the author has ever heard: “Well, do you think I dissociate from my body, too? Because if that’s what I’m doing, then it’s the illusion from hell…And even if it doesn’t kill me, what’s the use

The Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders fifth edition (DSM-5) uses the term non suicidal self-injury. Self-injury is defined as “intentional self inflicted damage to the surface of his or her body of a sort likely to induce bleeding, bruising, or pain, with the expectation that the injury will lead to only minor or moderate physical harm”(American psychiatric Association, 2013,p803). There must be an absence of suicidal intent; this is either stated by the patient, or determined by the fact that the method of harm is not likely to result in death. Although often misunderstood and seen as an attention seeking more

It is estimated that up to two percent of the general population experiences dissociative disorders (NAMI). Dissociative disorders are characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory (NAMI). Dissociative disorders are not discriminative; people from all races and socioeconomic backgrounds can suffer from one. The symptoms of this disease usually develop as a way to deal with a traumatic event and can be worsened during stressful situations. Although, the symptoms one may experience can differ based upon which dissociative disorder they have. Treatment for dissociative disorders often involves psychotherapy and medication. Though finding an effective treatment plan can be difficult, many people can live

Dissociation is defined as a disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment. The disturbance may be sudden or gradual, transient or chronic (Abess, M.D.). For some people, conscious thoughts and feelings, or "memories," about the traumatic event may come back at a later date (Noll). People with PTSD inevitably experience extremes of recall regarding traumatic circumstances or avoidance of thoughts and feelings about the event. Some people say they are "haunted" by memories of traumatic experiences which intrude on and disrupt their daily lives. They often can't get the "pictures" of the trauma out of their heads. They may have recurring nightmares, "flashbacks," or they may even relive the trauma as if it was happening in present time. It is also common for traumatized people to make deliberate efforts to avoid thoughts or feelings about the traumatic event and to avoid activities or situations which may remind them of the event. In some severe cases, avoidance of reminders of the trauma may cause a person to have "dissociative amnesia," or memory blanks for important aspects of the trauma. The individual can have problems interacting in social and family life, occupational instability and the breakdown of marriages can occur.

In addition to meeting criteria for diagnosis, an individual experiences high levels of either of the following in reaction to trauma-related stimuli: 1. Depersonalization: Experience of being an outside observer of or detached from oneself (e.g., feeling as if "this is not happening to me" or one were in a dream): Caroline reports dissociative episodes that range from loss of time in-out of body experiences. 2. Derealization: experience of unreality, distance, or distortion (e.g., "things are not real"): Caroline afraid of being sexually assault if she leaves the house; others may harm her son, perceives assertiveness as violence, fearful of friendships & extreme low self-esteem (flawed, broken, never going to be loved, etc.)

Deliberate self-harm is a term that covers a wide range of behaviours some of which are directly related to suicide and some are not. This is a relatively common behaviour that is little understood. This essay provides an overview of the nature and extent of those most at risk of self-harm, including causes and risk factors. Examining some of the stereotyping that surrounds self -harm, and looking at ways in which self-harm can be prevented.

Self-harm also known as self-injury, self-abuse, self-mutilation occurs when someone internationally and repeatedly harms herself/himself in a way that is impulsive and not intended to be lethal. “Self harm, often referred to as cutting”. Cutting is an self-injurious behavior where a student uses a sharp object such as: a razor blade and a knife to inflict physical pain. Although cutting is one of the most common and well documented forms, there are many things people do to hurt themselves (Bells 1). Self-harming behavior can include variety of methods of self injury (pearlman 1). Studies have documented over 16 forms of self-injury and there may well be more than that (Bells 1). Most common methods are scratching, burning, carving, hitting, punching or pulling out hair. Self-injury can be and is performed on any part of the body, but most often occurs on the hands, wrists, stomach and thighs. The severity of the act can vary from superficial wounds to those resulting in lasting disfigurement (Bells