You might feel uneasy reading this but several people in this busy crowd are chronic to a habit of self-harming and cutting themselves. It is disturbing to think about it, but the health effects of these actions are way worse. If you are the one who does so often or you happen to know someone who does, keep reading this article. We’ll discuss the negative health effects of self harm and cutting habits and their consequences.
Reasons for Inflicting Self Harm & Pain
The masses have been neglectful and unaware of this situation so much so that it has turned into a big unseen problem. Psychiatrists and psychologists are coming into the play to cure these deadly habits, which can and have resulted in several traumatic outcomes. While still, physicians are yet unable to pinpoint the specific reason why someone would begin to self harm, it is thought that a mix of the following is among the most popular theories:
- Physical State: Professionals believe that when neurotransmitters in the brain, which are essential for a person’s capacity to correctly control emotions, become imbalanced, a person is more likely to develop a mental disorder. As a result, an individual’s risk of self-mutilation increases.
- Genetic Linkage: Self-injury is thought to have strong hereditary ties to the illnesses for which it is a symptom. Major depression, for example, can lead to self-harming behaviors, and depression has been linked to family history. People who have a family member who suffers from mental illness are more likely to develop a mental disease themselves in the future.
- Environmental Effects: Environmental factors can influence whether or not a person initiates to self-injure. Those who grow up in homes where the atmosphere is perpetually upheaval and volatile, for example, may find solace in self-harm. It gives them control over their body and may augment certain emotions they seek. Those who have experienced abuse or severe trauma may also turn to self-harm as a way to cope with painful internal emotions. (See How to Deal With Family Members Who Put You Down?)
There can be a lot of other factors too that may lead to such horrible dilemmas, such as:
- Impulsivity
- Relationships that are not healthy
- Mental diseases of the past
- Emotional dysregulation
- History of depression
- The loss of a loved one
- Ineffective coping mechanisms
- Being a victim of trauma & PTSD
Read below to learn about the negative health effects of self harm and cutting addicts.
1. Skin Cuts and Bruises
Cutting your skin can have catastrophic repercussions, especially if the injuries are deep and/or on sensitive body parts. Self-harm can result in permanent scarring, which is one of the most visible consequences. According to Hamish Laing of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), scarring can’t be removed once it’s formed. Cutting your skin might have more significant repercussions. For examplw, you’re not very far away from the mechanics of the inside of your arm if you’re cutting your wrist. There are a lot of folks who have wounded their tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles while attempting this.
Although some of these injuries may get restored, cutting a major nerve in your wrist can leave you with lasting numbness and weakness in your hand. It’s a serious injury that would only add to the harm induced by other self-injury attempts. (Also read Different Types of BPD)
2. Skin Burns
In the negative health effects of self harm and cutting habits list, cutting isn’t the only method. Self-burning is also an option several people opt for. Additionally, it can cause first to fourth-degree burns. You may have serious skin injury and lasting scars if you burn your skin to self harm.
- A little scar, albeit painful, could result from a cigarette burn, but there will be no long-term damage. (See 14 Disastrous Health Effects of Smoking)
- Chemicals and acids, on the other hand, can cause significant bruises and even loss of limbs and other body parts.
- And lastly, losing life would be the most plausible result if the harm inflicted is of a higher degree.
3. Skull Fractures
Headbanging is another form of self-harm that may result in severe skull injuries and fractures. Head injury happens when you repeatedly smash your head against a wall, floor, or other objects. Despite the skull being strong, doing so over a long period can cause long-term damage. While head pounding for self-harm may appear to be less serious than cutting or overdosing, the actual danger is that the impact it has on your health is disguised, and the consequences of self-harm in this manner can be disastrous like concussions and grave skull fractures.
Indeed, repetitive blunt force trauma to the head is so harmful that a coroner found in 2002 that Jeff Astle, a former England World Cup football player, died of a brain illness caused by constantly heading footballs. (Read How long does the average football game last?)
4. Alcohol or Drug Intoxication
Intoxication is the most common and severe ways to self harm. And it has one of the most dangerous negative health effects of self harm and cutting habits. To deal with the temptation to self-harm, some people consider taking an overdose. However, in addition to the immediate dangers of an overdose, continued use of any substance can cause long-term harm to your body. An overdose of any drug is harmful to your health, and the consequences vary depending on what and how much drug you took.
The liver and kidneys are the two organs most impacted by paracetamol overdose. If the first symptoms are handled, long-term organ damage is still a possibility. (See How to keep my Kidneys Healthy?)
5. Mental Disorders
Several health disorders are possible when someone engages in self-mutilation. Self-injury is connected with a variety of conditions and negative health effects of self harm and cutting addicts, including the following:
- Personality illness on the outskirts
- Mood swings, including depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety disorders with other symptoms
- Addiction and substance misuse
- Schizophrenia
- Distorted eating
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety attacks (See The Body Language of Anxiety)
6. Long Term Ordeal
Self-injury has long-term consequences that are not only physically harmful but can also lead to a slew of bad consequences in the person’s life. The majority of the implications were segregated based on the technique of self-harm employed, although some of the long-term impacts can include:
- Isolation from the rest of society
- Shame, guilt, and disgust for one’s actions
- Numbness or weakness in specific body areas that lasts for a long time
- Abuse or addiction to substances
- Failure of many organs
- Anemia (See What Does It Mean When Your Blood Is Dark Red?)
Aiding The Damage
There is always a solution to all the problems you face, and practicing self-love is very important for everyone. The only need is the right door to knock on. Some of the ways to curb negative health effects of self harm and cutting habits are:
- Reach out for help if you’re injuring yourself, even if it’s in an unnoticed way, or if you’re thinking about harming yourself. Self-injury in any form is a symptom of underlying problems that must be addressed. Speak with someone you can trust, such as a friend, family member, or any elders who can assist you in taking the first steps toward successful treatment.
- While you may be embarrassed and ashamed of your actions, you can seek out professional, supportive, and non-judgmental assistance. (See PhD Vs PsyD in Psychology)
We hope we were able to help you with sketching the aftermath and the problems tucked with self-injury with negative health effects of self harm and cutting addicts. You can share the ways you helped yourself or someone else overcome this addiction.
