RE: Psychology Addict # 51 | Self-Harm – An Overview Through the Biopsychosocial Lens

[alexander.alexis]

You were absent for a long time but now you're on a roll!

This is a puzzling kind of behaviour. After all, the great majority of us avoid pain at any cost.

I had this thought recently that it might be a form of meditation. It gives you focus, and that focus is away from your problems. Also, just as a hot meal might energize you by perhaps damaging you a little bit inside, similarly self-harm might rejuvenate you somehow. Workaholism or an intense exercise session might be other, more socially acceptable, forms of 'punishing' oneself.

Interesting that Rhesus monkeys exhibit the same kind of behavior!

Comments

[abigail-dantes]

Hi Alexander :)

Also, just as a hot meal might energize you by perhaps damaging you a little bit inside, similarly self-harm might rejuvenate you somehow. Workaholism or an intense exercise session might be other, more socially acceptable, forms of 'punishing' oneself.

You can see here the many parallels between self-harm and addiction. And, of course, within the context of addiction there are those deemed 'more socially acceptable' (e.g. the very ones you mentioned) and those less so. Still, this condition is more accurately described as affect-regulation than as addiction.

I had this thought recently that it might be a form of meditation. It gives you focus, and that focus is away from your problems.

I had never seen self-harm from this perspective before: a form of meditation ...
I suppose that it's because I see self-injury rather as escapism, and meditation as a means to be able to accept and, consequently, deal with problems. But, perhaps, I am interpreting your observation too literally!

Well, now the summer season lessened my workload I will try to post at least every other week 😃

I really appreciate you taking the time to come around Alexander. It means a lot to me. Thank you :)

Have a wonderful Saturday evening!

[alexander.alexis]

But, perhaps, I am interpreting your observation too literally!

I was mainly honing in on the 'focus' part of meditation, I was thinking maybe this intense focus on cutting - using a certain instrument, doing it slowly, not doing it in a way that will actually lead to death, requiring a bit of the precision that is required of a surgeon - I was thinking these aspects of intense focus might help a person forget about their problems for a while. It's of course a complex behavior, but the requirement of 'focus' may play a part in it.

Thanks for your words and wishes! Have a great weekend!

[abigail-dantes]

Yep, I agree with you here :)