Posted by Dinah on January 30, 2004, at 21:22:14
In reply to Startling!!!, posted by 64Bowtie on January 30, 2004, at 12:50:26
Self harm is sometimes referred to as parasuicidal behavior, but honestly there really isn't a link between self injury and suicide attempts. Self injury is a coping mechanism, and has nothing to do with intending to end your life.
And while it may sometimes have something to do with thinking you deserve to be hurt, I don't think that's even usually the case. Self injurious behavior comes naturally to the human (and perhaps primates in general). A young child might hit himself or bite himself when frustrated. People with developmental delays often engage in stereotypical self injury. Head banging, etc. They theorize that there is a release of chemicals that is soothing. I read something just the other day.... Hmmm...
Wait! I found it! It's from "The Search for the Secure Base" by Jeremy Holmes, page 23.
"We can also speculate that the quasi-addictive quality of perverse self-soothing behaviors, such as cutting in borderline patients, might be medicated in a similar way - if endogenous opiates or peptides are released, then such pathological behaviors will also be self-reinforcing. The argument here is that when faced with stress an individual seeks out a secure base; the bonding process releases endogenous opiates which makes the individual relax and feel safe. Such apparently perverse acts as self-cutting may shortcut this process and produce the physiological secure base state, using the body rather than another as the means to do this."
I would tend to put it the other way. If a child tries but is unable to find a secure base because of the limitations of his caretakers, he might then seek other means to achieve the same physiological state.
Now there is something that might help your clients, Gardenergirl. If secure attachment provides the same chemicals as self injury, a secure attachment to a therapist might be an adequate substitute. Perhaps that is why I've been able to (mostly) keep my promise to my therapist. Because my secure attachment to him is an adequate self injury substitute (and a lot more pleasant, I might add).
As for suicide. If you can manage a bit of paradox, sometimes believing that suicide *is* an option is the only way to tolerate living.
poster:Dinah
thread:307314
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040123/msgs/307531.html