Non-suicidal self-injury , or NSSI, is such a widely misunderstood behavior. There is a noticeable deficit of research and scholarly writing on the subject. Even practitioners are often unprepared to spot and treat NSSI. Until the Fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) was published in 2013, NSSI was only considered a symptom of other disorders and was rarely the subject of research and analysis. We'll talk more later about what qualifies as NSSI, but just know that it can include a variety of behaviors and there really is no authoritative list used as methodological guidance for research. For this reason, and all of the typical obstacles, it is difficult to get an accurate estimation of prevalence. A recent meta-analysis (a survey of other studies) hoped to bring some uniformity to the area and combined the data. Here is what the researchers found:
sourceThese numbers may seem shocking. Keep in mind that it is also believed that up to 25% of people who have self-harmed only engaged in one episode of such behavior. For comparison, think of these numbers like you would a statistic of drug-use, rather than drug-addiction: a lot more people have engaged in self-harm than those who have developed patterns or dependencies.
It is also hard to find an article that doesn't highlight how "strange" and "alarming" the behavior is. Don't get me wrong, it should not be taken lightly. But, we have found a way to talk about things like depression and alcoholism without isolating labels. I think part of the reason is that a lot of people simply cannot relate or easily empathize with NSSI. Also, there is a real lack of public dialogue on the subject. Most people have no frame of reference for this behavior. When they encounter self-harm they are often frightened because it is completely foreign. Maybe you're experiencing those feelings right now.
I plan to write a lot more on this subject, but I will leave it here for today. If you do or have engaged in NSSI, know you're not alone. If this is a totally new concept to you, I encourage you to hang in. You may not know it, but it is possible that some of your friends or family may really need your support.
Until next time, be blessed.
Sam
Recent Posts:
Men and Women Don't Age Differently, We Just Objectify Them Differently
Get Bored and See What Happens
Your Brain Creates Shitty First Drafts of Reality
How to Know if Your Job is Killing You
You Need Your Tribe to Expand Your Perspective
Your Screen Time is Ruining Your Kids' Playtime
We Are More Similar Than Different
Clink here: Steem Follower to get votes and find great content to upvote.
Clink here:
Mannabase is a cyrpto approach to Universal Basic Income.
Sign up now for your FREE weekly distributions of Manna
Full disclosure: it is a referral link.
Fascinating...
Looking forward to reading more.
Would you be willing to expand on the varieties of self-harm, and the motivations behind the action?
In this testosterone study I'm doing on myself right now, a component is strenuous gym sessions with weight training.
This behavior is self-inflicted harm, without question; however it is secondary to a greater purpose (health, vanity, curiosity)...
It's a struggle to 'push through the pain' and crank out those last reps, and I'd love to learn the mentality behind those individuals who perform acts of self-harm without that greater goal to complete the action.
Compassionate curiosity guides this question to you; I work in the medical field.
Thank you for this comment! Your compassion came through clearly in the question. :)
Yes. Absolutely. I am currently outlining a handful of posts on the subject. Because it is such a big topic and I want more than just a single surface level post, I am breaking up discrete aspects into separate posts. The kinds of self harm and the motivation behind them will definitely be covered.
I love how you highlight that there are some activities that are actually healthy for us but do involve some intentional pain to ourselves. NSSI is almost always secretive and not socially accepted things like piercings/tattoos or contact sports.
Excellent.
Glad you're on Steemit Sam;
I love the collective brain trust that has been coming together on this platform 😊
Eagerly looking forward to reading more of your work 👍
I agree! It is really awesome to see such a diverse set of topics, experiences, and expertise being developed on here. Thank you for the kind words :D