Nonsuicidal Self-Injury is the deliberate act of inflicting damage onto ones body that is not a social acceptable cultural ritual (ie. body piercing, tattooing) or intended to induce death. Examples of self-injurious behaviour include cutting, stabbing, striking the body, rubbing the surface of the skin excessively, to name a few. Self-injurious behaviours are done to help produce a desired state and/or help reduce or eliminate certain thoughts and feelings. The behaviour can become self-reinforcing and a person who struggles with self-injury could become preoccupied about the act.
If you or someone you know is engaging in self-injurious behaviours, consulting with a physician may be a first step, especially when wounds are in need of attention. At Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County we may be able to help with the behavioural, cognitive and emotional factors that produce and maintain the act of self-injury.