Myths About Self Injury

It is very easy to misunderstand self-injury if you do not suffer with the problem yourself.  Many self injurers themselves do not understand why exactly it is that they cut themselves.  Because of the nature of self injury, people tend to jump to very quick conclusions. 

- Self Injury is NOT a series of failed suicide attempts - those who self injure do so more to 'cope' than as a way out - a way of dying.  In that way this myth is the worst as it is give totally the opposite meaning.  It is true that many self injurers contemplate suicide as an extreme option.  Many do suffer with the same kinds of illnesses that those who commit suicide do.  However self injury is not done with the intention to kill oneself. 

- Self Injury is NOT pure attention seeking - while it may be right that those who do self injure may *need* attention, self injury must not be interpreted as a means of calling attention to oneself.  Those who do self injure often do so in such secretive ways that those very close to them have no idea of their problem.  Interpreting self injury as attention seeking can only make things worse for the self injurer.

- Some Self Injury is minor - this does NOT mean that it is not serious - the severity of the person's feelings and reasons behind SI cannot be determined by the severity of a cut/burn etc...

- Self Injurers are NOT crazy - while many people with psychological problems may self injure, and self injury is sometimes accompanied by depression, the psychological problem of self injury does not always accompany any other disorder.  Self injury is a problem in its own right, and may be regarded by those who have had no experience of it to be a sign of craziness.  To other people it may be 'crazy' - to a self injurer it is the way they live.