Functions of Self-injury
Self-injury is considered to be a maladaptive behavior. That is, it can serve the same function as less damaging behaviors (e. g. to manage or reduce stress) but has negative health consequences (e. g. physical damage to the body) compared to other responses (e. g. meditating, taking a walk). There are many functions that self-injury can serve and they roughly fall into the broad categories of interpersonal (relating to other people) and intrapersonal (related to internal thoughts and emotions) functioning. Interpersonal influences can include nonverbal communication of desiring help from others or one’s inability to deal with a stressful situation. Intrapersonal functions can include affect regulation (i. e. regulating overwhelming emotions) and anti-dissociation (i. e. to generate feelings when experiencing emotional numbness).
Read more about this topic: Self-harm
Famous quotes containing the words functions of and/or functions:
“Mark the babe
Not long accustomed to this breathing world;
One that hath barely learned to shape a smile,
Though yet irrational of soul, to grasp
With tiny finger—to let fall a tear;
And, as the heavy cloud of sleep dissolves,
To stretch his limbs, bemocking, as might seem,
The outward functions of intelligent man.”
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
“Adolescents, for all their self-involvement, are emerging from the self-centeredness of childhood. Their perception of other people has more depth. They are better equipped at appreciating others’ reasons for action, or the basis of others’ emotions. But this maturity functions in a piecemeal fashion. They show more understanding of their friends, but not of their teachers.”
—Terri Apter (20th century)