Why Do People Hurt Themselves

Why Do People Hurt Themselves?

Non-suicidal self-injury has been talked about for decades now but has been brought up more in today’s society. Young teens struggle with NSSI because of the emotions and stress of the world today. Cutting and carving ones skin is an example of non-suicidal self-injury. Many people wonder, why would someone want to do this and do they need help.

According to Nock, non-suicidal self-injury or NSSI is the direct, deliberate destruction of one’s own body tissue in the absence of intent to die. (Tattooing or body piercing is not classified as a non-suicidal self-injury.) Non-suicidal self-injury happens equally across sexes, socioeconomic statuses, and ethnicities. NSSI differs from suicidal self-injury because the individuals do not want to kill themselves, as suicidal self-injury does or attempts too. In the article, Why Do People Hurt Themselves states that suicide is the most extreme case and in less extreme instances, people deliberately injure themselves without wanting to die.

According to Nock, approximately 1 to 4% of adults and 13 to 23% of adolescents report a history of NSSI at some point in their lives. NSSI is a symptom of psychiatric disorder because of the strong relation between psychiatric disorder and NSSI. However, some tend to believe that NSSI occurs across many disorders and is not a symptom of just one disorder.

In this article, Why Do People Hurt Themselves is states there is a psychodynamic theory and a folk explanation for why some people engage in NSSI behaviors. The psychodynamic theory states that NSSI is preformed as a way of gaining control over urges of sex or death. The folk explanation in the article is they invoke concepts like manipulation of other people, impulsiveness, and low self-esteem.

According to Nock there are six hypotheses that outline why people would engage in NSSI behaviors. The social learning hypothesis is when someone engages in NSSI by being influenced by observing...