Self-Injury Counseling
Self-injury is a choice.
There is only pain, not relief, in self-injury. Self-injury negatively affects all portions of a person's life-physical, mental, emotional and social.
Self-injury is a coping behavior, so it's done in order to deal with life. The goal may be to release feelings, become calm, punish oneself, or visually express one's pain, but in any case, the person still plans to be alive when it's over. Therefore, the self-harming behaviors are usually not serious enough to cause death (although in cases of extreme anger or intoxication, the person may not realize or care how serious the wounds actually are11). Suicide attempts, on the other hand, are done with the apparent intent to die. The person may get her affairs in order beforehand—giving away possessions, writing a note—and will usually try to harm herself seriously enough to cause death.
Forms of self injury:
- Cutting
- Scratching
- Burning
- Punching Walls
- Head banging
- Preventing wounds from healing
- Picking
- Poking
- Hair pulling
- Choking yourself until passing out
This behavior has many different names: cutting; self-injury; self-mutilation; self-violence. It's defined as a deliberate, repetitive, and non-life-threatening harming of one's body that not only includes cutting, but also scratching, picking scabs, burning, punching, infecting oneself, bruising or breaking bones, or hair pulling.
Why do people self-injure?
For many, many different reasons. In her book Women Living With Self-Injury, Jane Hyman lists twenty-five different reasons for self-injuring! The following, in my opinion, are seven of the most common and most representative:
- To release emotions
- To show hatred for oneself
- To discipline or punish oneself
- To feel pain or see blood
- To calm racing thoughts
- To stop flashbacks or intrusive, vivid memories
- To avoid suicide
Essentially, self-injury is a way to cope with life: current problems or past problems, strong feelings or lack of feeling, desire for calm or desire for pain.
Self-injurious behaviors are more common among Christian teens than people like to admit. Self-injury is just beginning to be recognized and treated in Christian circles. Those struggling with it, often feel like a freaks or feel unlovable, as if they were beyond God's grace. Those who struggle with self-injury need to experience Jesus' love—and that his atonement is sufficient for her sins.
It is very difficult to decide to talk to someone about this behavior. You can be assured that there are many trained counselors that have helped many people with cutting. If you find yourself thinking of harming yourself or engaging in any of these behaviors please contact the counseling center at 303-933-5800 for help. We are here to help! All our counselors are Christians that believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and the redemptive grace of Jesus Christ.
If you are interesting in seeking Christian counseling, call the main phone number at 303-933-5800
or fill out the contact form to make arrangements for an appointment.