Cutting, self-mutilation and self-harm behaviors – should piercing be included?
January 19, 2005
By: Bob Whitehead
Recently, modern psychology had turned its eye to the growing
prevalence of self-abusing behaviors. Most common among young women,
cutting, self-mutilation, and other self-harm behaviors such as
intentional burning are on the rise.
This begs the question of where body modifications fit within the
self-injury construct. How are ritualistic cuts and burns different
from those that are inflicted by “cutters,” as people who engage in
self-mutilation are called? Some people may even view piercing as a
form of self-abuse. It can be addictive, after all, and it does
involve levels of pain and adrenaline that can be exhilarating.
The deceptively simple answer is intent. People who engage in
self-harming behaviors by stubbing cigarettes out on their bodies or
using a knife to create incisions along a limb have usually done so
with a different intent than someone who gets lots of body
piercings. Piercing is about celebrating the body, adorning it, and
personalizing it. Self-abuse involves inflicting physical pain as a
means of escape.
People cut as a means of dealing with emotional pain. The
physical pain of the cut overshadows anything else and is a form of
release. It’s also a means of control, much like anorexia nervosa
can be. For those who feel like their lives are slipping out of
their grasp, mutilation presents a tantalizing modicum of control. A
cutter can control the amount of pain she’s in with her knife.
Piercing isn’t included in these behaviors because it generally
has a more positive intent behind it. In fact, for some people
recovering from self-abuse behaviors, piercing can be a way to help
learn to celebrate the body rather than harm it. However, if someone
does get a piercing with the intent of inflicting pain on the body,
piercing would then be included in self-abusing practices.
If you are, or know someone who is, a cutter, please talk to a
professional or a trusted friend, or visit
SAFE.
About the Author:
Bob Whitehead is a successful freelance writer and publisher of
http://www.body-jewelry-useek.com. Body jewelry, piercing and tattooing information you seek to perfectly adorn your body.
Also See: [ An overview of the
practice of body suspension ]
[ What scarification is and
how it is performed? ]
[ Some facts about body
branding ]
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