Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of many anxiety disorders that have been identified. OCD involves irrational, frightening, worrisome thoughts and the excessive repetition of behaviors to address the thoughts, anxiety and fear.

OCD behaviors disrupt normal functioning in life, making it hard to hold down a job, maintain relationships and other important tasks and functions in life. People who are compelled to engage in behaviors involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder know that the behaviors are not normal. They experience distress, depression, self-criticism and self-loathing because of the condition.

Some repetitive behaviors found in people who suffer from OCD are:

• Having an aversion to particular numbers
• Constantly clearing the throat, sniffing or nose blowing
• Counting
• Excessive cleaning or straightening
• Excessive hand washing or fear of germs
• Hair plucking
• Hoarding
• Nail biting
• Opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room
• Preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts
• Repeated checking such as with locks
• Skin picking
• Repeatedly turning lights off and on
• Keeping doors closed at all times
• Touching objects a certain number of times before exiting a room
• Walking in an unusual, patterned way

Elements of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessions

A symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder is the existence of mental obsessions. Obsessions are thoughts that keep coming back into one’s mind regardless of how hard the person works to ignore them or how the person has addressed the thoughts in the past. In severe cases, obsessions can develop into delusions as a person loses sight of the irrationality of the obsessions.

A subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder is Primarily Obsessional OCD. It involves obsessive thoughts without the associated external compulsive behaviors. Obsessive thoughts are usually aggressive or sexual in nature. A person with this type of OCD doesn’t display the repetitive behaviors of classic OCD but instead will have mental rituals they engage in. They will also feel an intense need to avoid situations that might trigger the obsessive thoughts. One’s mental rituals will consume much of the person’s time. Avoiding triggering situations will make it hard if not impossible for a person to complete some day to day activities, events and life roles.

Compulsions

Compulsions are behaviors or rituals that a person is compelled to engage in. The behaviors help the person feel less anxiety, panic and dread related to a particular obsessive thought. The behaviors involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder are neither the same as “tics” associated with other mental health or medical conditions nor are they the same as habits. The difference between compulsions and habits is that compulsions take up a significant amount of time, disrupt one’s life and cause much distress, while habits make one’s day and life more efficient, manageable and cause little if any distress.

Causes and Influences

• Abnormal neurotransmitter levels, especially serotonin
• Genetics
• In children – brain abnormalities
• In children – group A streptococcal infections (PANDAS)
• In children – life stress, trauma

Related Conditions

Unfortunately some people with obsessive-compulsive disorder are misdiagnosed with other conditions that have symptoms similar to those of OCD. Proper diagnosis is critical as people suffering with OCD have high rates of depression and attempt suicide more than people without OCD. About half of them live with persistent suicidal thoughts.

There appears to be a connection between obsessive-compulsive disorder and drug addiction. Addiction in this population of people might present as a compulsive behavior or might serve as a coping mechanism.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is a type of personality disorder rather than an anxiety disorder like OCD. A person with OCPD does not believe that his obsessive-compulsive behaviors are irrational or abnormal and actually gets pleasure from the obsessions and compulsions. The obsessive-compulsive behaviors are accepted by the person and viewed as a normal part of his personality.

Treatment Strategies

Common treatments include:

• Anti-depressant medications
• Anti-psychotic medications
• Behavioral Therapy (BT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Electroconvulsive therapy for severe cases
• Family therapy
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Psychosurgery for the worst cases
• Support groups

Experimental treatments include:

• Anti-cholinergics
• Certain opioid and psychedelic drugs
• Inositol therapy
• Nicotine treatment
• Nutrition therapy

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When a person who is struggling with addiction also has problems with unstable moods, the person is said to have a dual diagnosis mood disorder. There are many conditions that fall into the category of dual diagnosis mood disorder, all of them involving a history of depression and/or manic moods in a person.

Causes and Influences

It is normal for a person who has gone through major traumatic life experiences to have a depressed mood. Experiences such as illness, loss of important people or things, unsuccessful attempts to reach goals and other negative experiences do appear to cause a depressed mood in general.

Genetics

The exact causes of mood disorders that could be involved in dual diagnosis mood disorder are not known. However, it is known that mood disorders have a genetic basis; a person has a higher risk of developing a mood disorder if one or both parents or a sibling have a mood disorder.

Natural Adaptation

Some professionals have theorized that mood disorders are adaptive responses that help a person deal with situations that could possibly involve danger, loss or wasted effort. Some researchers believe that a depressed mood might be an adaptive response that moves a person away from earlier, maladaptive ways of behaving. A depressed mood could also be a way nature forces one’s body to limit physical activity, such as during an illness. Finally, there appears to be a link between exceptional creativity and certain types of mood problems involved in dual-diagnosis mood disorders.

Alcohol, Drug and Health Influences

Dual diagnosis mood disorder involving major depressive disorder occurs frequently among alcoholics because alcohol has been shown to directly cause MDD. Drugs such as Valium and other benzodiazepines have also been shown to cause MDD. There are many health conditions that will result in MDD such as auto-immune diseases, metabolic disorders and others.

Two Major Categories of Mood Disorders

Depressive Disorders / Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Dual diagnosis mood disorder might involve a condition called major depressive disorder. It is a type of disorder involving depression of varying intensity and frequency. It is also known as “major depression” and “clinical depression”. A dual diagnosis mood disorder with major depressive disorder is often not identified by primary care physicians or general hospital practitioners. Accurate diagnosis of major depressive disorder is important because people with MDD have a higher risk of suicide. There are many subtypes of major depressive disorder:

• Atypical Depression (AD)
• Catatonic Depression
• Depressive Personality Disorder (DPD)
• Double Depression
• Dysthymia
• Melancholic Depression
• Minor Depressive Disorder
• Non-Melancholic Depression
• Postpartum Depression (PPD)
• Psychotic Major Depression (PMD)
• Recurrent Brief Depression (RBD)
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Bipolar Disorder (BD)

Dual diagnosis mood disorder sometimes involves a condition known as bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder causes a person to experience periods of high mood referred to as “mania” that cycle with periods of low, depressed mood. The disorder was once called “manic depression”. Subtypes of bipolar disorder include:

• Bipolar I
• Bipolar II
• Cyclothymia

Treatment

Mood disorders involved in dual diagnosis mood disorder usually response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mood stabilizing medications, antipsychotics and/or antidepressant medications as appropriate.

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is the term used to describe a condition where a person imagines and fully believes that an aspect of his or her body is disfigured or defective when, in fact, it is not. The disorder interferes with the person’s daily functioning. Body Dysmorphic Disorder affects men and women equally. BDD is also sometimes seen in children.

A person with Body Dysmorphic Disorder is not distressed about the imagined “defect” for vanity reasons. Instead the person believes that the defect equates to not being good enough or to being ugly or hideous. The person will hold on to distressing, unfounded beliefs about his or her appearance no matter how attractive the person actually is. A person with Body Dysmorphic Disorder is usually concerned with perceived defects involving the hair, skin and nose.

How does the disorder develop?

As with most mental health disorders, Body Dysmorphic Disorder develops for a number of different reasons. It usually begins in adolescence. Researchers are not entirely sure of the cause(s) of BDD but it is known that BDD is influenced by environment, by other existing mental health conditions and by certain personality traits.

Environmental Influences

• Extreme criticism, teasing, bullying or verbal abuse during childhood
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Trauma or neglect
• Unrealistic images and influences of mass media
• Upbringing involving extreme focus on outward appearance
• Upbringing involving very little or no focus on outward appearance

Mental Health Influences

• Anxiety Disorders
• Avoidant Personality Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Dependent Personality Disorder
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Eating Disorders
• Major Depression
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Personality Influences

• Avoidant, introverted, shy
• Chronic low self esteem
• Chronic negative thinking
• Neurotic
• Non-assertive
• Overly sensitive
• Perfectionist
• Schizoid personality

Consequences

Body Dysmorphic Disorder brings with it many obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors that sometimes serve to protect the person from being seen, embarrassed or ridiculed by others. Those thoughts and behaviors include:

• Anxieties and phobias such as social anxiety, social phobia, agoraphobia and panic attacks
• Attempts to hide the defect (make up, clothing, hats, etc)
• Compulsion to look in or avoids mirrors and other reflective surfaces
• Compulsion to touch the defect
• Difficulty with relationships, romantic and otherwise
• Distracting others to avoid attention to defect
• Excessive grooming
• Extreme self-consciousness
• Hostility towards opposite sex
• Inability to look at self in photos
• Obsession with finding information related to the defect
• Obsession with looking like a specific famous person
• Poor work history or work performance because of obsession with appearance
• Self harm
• Social and family withdrawal and isolation including hostility towards family members
• Staying at home or leaving only at certain times
• Strong feelings of shame
• Suicidal thoughts
• Unnecessary attempts to modify outside appearance (over-exercising, cosmetic surgery)
• Unnecessary dependence on others or excessive need for reassurance

A person with BDD will often undergo plastic surgery to fix the imagined defect. The person is never satisfied with the results and might continue to request more and more surgeries. Occasionally a person with BDD will try to fix the defect and perform cosmetic procedures on her his or her own body. In some cases, plastic surgery can lead to psychosis in a person who has Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Suicidal thoughts are common among people with BDD and suicide in this population is significantly higher than that of the general population.

Treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Quality of life for a person suffering with Body Dysmorphic Disorder is severely decreased if professional treatment is not received. Women are more apt to pursue treatment for BDD than men are. A combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and anti-depressant medication has shown some success in treating the disorder.

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Panic attacks are part of an anxiety disorder known as Panic Disorder (PD). Panic attacks cannot be predicted and often come “out of the blue” or they are triggered by something in a person’s environment. Panic attacks create feelings of extreme anxiety, dread and fear in the person experiencing the attack.

Physical symptoms associated with panic attacks feel life-threatening but are not.

Symptoms of Panic Attacks

• Chest pain
• Chills, hot flashes
• Choking sensation
• Dizziness or faintness
• Feelings of going crazy
• Feelings of impeding death or doom, uncontrollable fear
• Hyperventilation, shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Numbness, tingling
• Rapid heart rate
• Sense of altered reality
• Shaking and sweating
• Strong need to “escape”

Characteristics of Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can last anywhere from one minute to over an hour, though ten minutes is average. If the panic attack is interrupted, the attack will be shorter than it would be without intervention. Sometimes panic attacks will occur continually for a few hours with varying levels of intensity and symptoms. The intense symptoms of panic attacks are sometimes mistaken for medical conditions such as heart attack and lead many people into emergency rooms unnecessarily.

Behavioral changes related to panic attacks can last up to a month including the anxiety related to not knowing when the next attack will occur. Panic attacks generally start in early adulthood, but do occur in children as well. Women are twice as likely as men to have panic attacks.

Triggers, Causes and Influences

• Caffeine
• Certain medical conditions and illness
• Certain medications
• Chemical imbalances
• Dental and spinal anesthetics
• General use of alcohol and other sedatives
• Genetics/inheritance
• Major life stressors
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Preexisting disorders such as bipolar disorder
• Substance abuse and smoking
• Tendency to magnifying bodily sensations
• Tendency to take on excessive responsibility

Treatment Options for Panic Attacks

• Anti-anxiety medications
• Anti-depressant medications
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Exposure Therapy
• Interoceptive Therapy
• Positive self talk training
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Removal of caffeine from diet
• Self help exercises
• Support groups
• Treatment of co-occurring disorders such as depression, substance addiction

Summary

There is no cure for panic attacks but in most cases, the disorder responds well to treatment. Panic attacks can go on for years and if left untreated they will worsen to the point of controlling one’s life, work and relationships.

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The diagnosis of co-occurring disorder means that a person has an addiction to drugs or alcohol and also has some other mental health condition. Other mental health conditions can include things like clinical depression, bipolar disorder and mood disorders, among many others.

Having a mental health condition significantly increases a person’s risk of having problems with drugs or alcohol. The two conditions often go hand-in-hand. Both conditions in a co-occurring disorder will lead to problems in one’s life if they are not addressed.
 

Co-Occurring Disorder Facts

• The conditions involved in a person’s co-occurring disorder were not caused by the person. The person did not choose to have either of the problems and did not cause the problems to exist
• The conditions involved in co-occurring disorder are two separate conditions. Addiction involves a preoccupation with drugs or alcohol, cravings, compulsive use and loss of control over the substance. The other mental health condition (depression, mood problems, etc) affects the person’s moods, thoughts and behaviors thereby creating problems and interfering with the person’s effectiveness and success in life
• One condition in a co-occurring disorder did not cause the other one to develop or continue. Although they do interact, the conditions are independent of each other. Having major depression does not cause alcoholism, for example; just as having a drug addiction does not cause bi-polar disorder and so on
• Having a co-occurring disorder means that one must seek specialized treatment in order to recover from it. The interaction that occurs between the two conditions makes treating each of them more challenging. Each condition must be treated by professionals who understand the condition and have experience working with people who have a co-occurring disorder. Again, it is imperative that the conditions are treated at the same time

Recovery Strategies for Co-Occurring Disorder

Having a Treatment Team
A co-occurring disorder cannot be “fixed” by the person with the disorder. Many people with co-occurring disorder try to handle the problems on their own, but they are never successful. It’s important for someone wanting to recover from a co-occurring disorder to have a treatment team made up of various specialists such as a therapist, a psychiatrist, a doctor, a pharmacist, supportive family members, a mentor and other friends or acquaintances who are supportive and can offer helpful assistance. Timely communication among a person and his treatment team is the key to a successful team.

Taking Medications
Not everyone with a co-occurring disorder is comfortable with the idea of taking medications. Mood-altering substances are questionable when a person is in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. However, someone with a co-occurring disorder might very well need medications in order to maintain a stable life, a stable recovery from drugs or alcohol and a stable recovery from the other mental health condition he has. With guidance from his qualified treatment team, a person must do what is appropriate for his own special situation.

Recovery Does Happen
Recovery from a co-occurring disorder is possible. Thousands of people are successfully recovering from addiction and another mental health disorder. With the right treatment professionals, persistence and a desire to recover, a person with a co-occurring disorder will learn to live a full, healthy life of sobriety and emotional and mental stability.

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Binge eating disorder is not the same as “compulsive overeating”. A person with binge eating disorder will eat exceptionally large amounts of food uncontrollably in a very short period of time. In a person with binge eating disorder, the binge eating and normal eating occur in cycles where the person will eat normally for a period of time, will have a binge for a period of time then will go back to normal eating and so on.

A binge eater does not obsessively think about food the way a compulsive overeater does. A binge eater typically does not rely on over-exercising, purging, laxatives or other weight control measures to make up for a binge. Hence, a binge eater is usually overweight or obese, though some binge eaters are of normal weight. Binge eating disorder is the most common of all recognized eating disorders.

Common Signs & Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

• Eating large amounts of food very quickly in a short period of time, even when not hungry
• Constantly alternating between losing weight and regaining weight
• Eating alone during times of normal eating due to embarrassment about eating
• Eating until over-full or sick to stomach
• Experiencing feelings of self-disgust, depression or guilt after a binge
• Using food to ease boredom and negative emotions

Contributing Factors

Binge eating disorder appears as a lack of self-control in the person with the disorder. However, like other mental health disorders the causes and contributing factors of binge eating disorder are complex and varied.

One factor leading to the disorder is chronic strict dieting. Binge eating disorder sometimes develops in a person who follows an unreasonably or unnecessarily strict diet. When the person “messes up” on a strict diet, a binge might occur because the person reasons that she might as well eat all she can because she will have to “start over” on the strict diet again tomorrow (or at some point). A cycle of dieting/binging begins. Other contributing factors of binge eating disorder include:

• Depression
• Genetics
• Low self esteem
• Overweight as a child
• Physical or sexual abuse in childhood
• Presence of another mental health disorder
• Presence of bulimia
• Pressure from others about weight

Consequences

The cycle of binge eating and normal eating in binge eating disorder usually leads to poor nutrition, nutritional deficiencies and frequent illnesses such as colds and flu. Overweight and obese individuals might have secondary consequences that arise from being overweight. Health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, poor cholesterol, gallbladder disease and certain cancers are directly related to overweight and obesity. Social inhibition or isolation sometimes occurs due to embarrassment of body size and feelings of low self-esteem or shame.

Treatment Strategies

Many effective treatment strategies are available through professionals trained in treating eating disorders. Treatments include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Interpersonal psychotherapy
• Medications such as antidepressants
• Self-education
• Support groups such as Overeaters Anonymous

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]]> http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/binge-eating-disorder/feed/ 0 http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/bulimia-eating-disorder/ http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/bulimia-eating-disorder/#respond Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:40:51 +0000 https://breakaway.hiredpower.com/?p=2406 Bulimia is a type of eating disorder where a person eats a large amount of food very quickly then removes or “purges” the food from the body by vomiting, using a laxative, diuretic or enema. Purging is a way of getting the food out of the body as quickly as possible. Compulsive exercising, taking stimulating […]

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Bulimia is a type of eating disorder where a person eats a large amount of food very quickly then removes or “purges” the food from the body by vomiting, using a laxative, diuretic or enema. Purging is a way of getting the food out of the body as quickly as possible. Compulsive exercising, taking stimulating drugs and fasting are non-purging ways in which a person might make up for an episode of excessive eating. The formal term for bulimia is Bulimia Nervosa.

Bulimia eating disorder involves cycles of binge eating and purging along with normal periods of eating. How often a person goes through the cycle is dependent on how severe the disorder is. For some, the binge-purge cycle might occur every few days, but for others it might occur several times a day. Bulimia is found mostly in woman. Adolescent females are at particular risk of developing bulimia. The disorder is occasionally found in people who also suffer with anorexia nervosa.

Warning Signs & Symptoms of Bulimia Eating Disorder

Bulimia eating disorder is not easy to detect. A person with bulimia is usually of normal weight or might be slightly underweight. A person with bulimia is good at hiding the disorder, so often times even close family members do not know it exists. Some signs and symptoms of bulimia eating disorder include:

• Obsession with calories, weight and exercising
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• Erosion on back side of teeth
• Inflammation or cuts to the lining of the mouth or throat
• Family history of eating disorders
• Calluses or scars on back of hands from repeated abrasion on teeth
• Constant weight fluctuation
• Low blood pressure
• Skipped or irregular periods
• Constipation
• Enlarged glands in the neck

Influences

Bulimia eating disorder has a genetic component to it much like other mental health and co-occurring disorders do. In addition, abnormal levels of sex hormones have been linked to bulimia as have abnormal levels of tryptophan and serotonin in the brain.

The media is a strong influence on women’s beliefs that they must be thin in order to be “successful” or happy. Media pressure is especially influential with adolescent females.

Individuals involved in activities or who have professions where thinness is a benefit are at a higher risk of developing bulimia eating disorder. Sports and professions such gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, figure skating, running, acting and modeling put particular pressure on an individual to be of normal or less than normal weight.

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]]> http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/bulimia-eating-disorder/feed/ 0 http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/codependency/ http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/codependency/#respond Mon, 28 Oct 2013 20:15:15 +0000 https://breakaway.hiredpower.com/?p=2355 Codependency is a concept that addresses the tendency for a person (the “codependent”) to be become controlled or manipulated by another person or group (the “controller”). Ironically, a codependent person will depend on the control of the other person. Often times the controller has an addiction or some other dysfunction(s) that the codependent person is […]

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Codependency is a concept that addresses the tendency for a person (the “codependent”) to be become controlled or manipulated by another person or group (the “controller”). Ironically, a codependent person will depend on the control of the other person.

Often times the controller has an addiction or some other dysfunction(s) that the codependent person is dependent on and actually needs the controller to have. Codependency can exist in marriages and other romantic relationships. It can also exist in relationships at work, between parent and child, within friendships and in community relationships.

Characteristics of the Co-Dependent

• Denial about the controlling/dependent nature of the relationship or about self-needs
• Efforts to control the other’s behavior but simultaneously needing those same behaviors to exist
• Excessive compliance based on intense desire to be needed and accepted by the other
• Low self-esteem; placing one’s self lower in importance and priority to the other; taking a martyr mentality
• Overly involved or entangled with another person
• Preoccupied with the needs, behaviors, thoughts and feelings of the other. The preoccupation goes beyond normal caretaking or reasonable self-sacrifice

Consequences and Treatment of Codependency

Unaddressed codependency can lead to other self-defeating behaviors and conditions in the codependent. Conditions often include alcoholism, addiction, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depression and trauma. The active codependent will continue to attract or maintain dysfunctional relationships. In a work setting, codependents have a hard time leaving unhealthy or stressful jobs out of concern of abandoning coworkers or the boss but tend to get promoted less and make less money than non-codependent workers.

Treatments for codependency include:

• Psychotherapy
• Medications as needed
• Support groups such as Co-Dependents Anonymous, Al-Anon and/or Adult Children of Alcoholics
• Family therapy
• Self-education

Sometimes someone recovering from codependency will have a hard time finding balance. The person might become aggressive, selfish, develop a victim mentality and/or become passive-aggressive. With continued treatment, the person will learn how to use assertiveness appropriately so that aggression is no longer necessary. The person will learn to be caring without putting himself second. A sense of empowerment will eventually develop and the person will become in charge of his own life without the need for another to control it. Someone who has recovered from codependency will not tolerate manipulation or abusive relationships for himself.

Professional Arguments

Some professionals believe that the diagnosis of codependency is overused. Or that codependency is not necessarily a disorder; it is simply a healthy personality trait that is taken too far. They believe that learning boundaries and assertiveness skills would help alleviate the problem. In some people or families where no clinical disorders exist among the family members, the characteristics or behaviors of codependency have positive effects on the family system.

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]]> http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/codependency/feed/ 0 http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/self-harming-behavior/ http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/self-harming-behavior/#respond Sun, 13 Oct 2013 20:29:44 +0000 http://breakaway.hiredpower.com/?p=2193 Self-harming behavior is sometimes referred to “self-mutilation” or “self-injury”.  People who engage in self-harming behavior purposely hurt themselves to varying degrees depending on how serious the self-harming has become. Self-harming behavior takes many forms. Self-harming usually begins in adolescence or the early 20s. In the majority of cases, the act of self-harm is not for […]

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Self-harming behavior is sometimes referred to “self-mutilation” or “self-injury”.  People who engage in self-harming behavior purposely hurt themselves to varying degrees depending on how serious the self-harming has become. Self-harming behavior takes many forms. Self-harming usually begins in adolescence or the early 20s. In the majority of cases, the act of self-harm is not for the purpose of suicide although the risk of suicide in people who self-harm is higher than it is in the general public.

Forms of Self-Harm

Self-harming behavior includes a wide range of activities (some of which are not considered by many people to be self-harm and are marginally acceptable in society). Examples include but are not limited to:

• Superficial or deep skin cutting is the most common self-harming behavior
• Burning, stabbing
• Hitting, head-banging, biting, eye poking
• Scratching, hair pulling
• Interfering with wound healing
• Self-poisoning
• Embedding objects
• Excessive tattooing, piercing or cosmetic surgery
• “Decorative” skin scarring
• Amputation of body parts including (but not limited to) castration and eye removal

Why do people self-harm?

Self-harming behavior is very complex and involves a number of components that vary from person to person. In general, self-harming appears to be a coping mechanism. Self-harmers know that what they are doing is not acceptable and they are very good at hiding the behavior and wounds. Most self-harmers do not wish attention. But for some, such as those with mental retardation, self-harm is used an attention-seeking or manipulative behavior. All of the following components which underlie self-harming do not necessary apply to every self-harmer:

• Finding relief from intense emotions like anxiety, depression, overwhelm, self-hatred, low self-esteem and perfectionism.
• Counteracting a lack of feelings as the physical and emotional pain a person feels from self-harm is the only time some people feel anything at all.
• Disassociating or depersonalizing from reality.
• Responding to the compulsion to self-harm when the behavior has become a psychological addiction. Addiction can develop in chronic self-harmers.
• Seeking pleasure if the act makes the person feel good.

Self-harming behavior is also associated with a number of clinical conditions and abnormal environments. Though not as common, it is sometimes found in people who do not have any other clinical condition and appear to have normal, successful lives. Some conditions and environments that are associated with self-harming are:

• Anxiety disorders & phobias
• Autism
• Bipolar disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Conduct disorders
• Depression
• Eating disorders such as Binge Eating Disorder or Bulimia
• Incarceration (especially prevalent)
• Mental retardation
• Past or current physical, sexual and emotional abuse
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Psychosis (acute or chronic)
• Substance abuse, especially that involving sedatives or alcohol
• War, poverty, unemployment, bereavement

Treatment and Prognosis for Self-Harming

There are treatments for self-harming behavior. Not all people who engage in self-harm require all of the treatments available. Each self-harmer needs specialized attention that targets the specific components of the self-harmer’s disorder. Available treatments for self-harming behavior include:

• Engaging in biofeedback training
• Incorporating a Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System (SIBIS)
• Learning avoidance and distraction techniques
• Living in a long-term psychiatric hospital
• Removing self-harming objects from environment
• Removal of the person from an abusive or trauma-inducing environment
• Substituting safer methods of self-harm such as rubber-band snapping on the wrist
• Taking medication for schizophrenia when the condition is present
• Taking mood stabilizing, depression and/or anxiety medications
• Undergoing Cognitive and/or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Treatment for self-harming behavior is a long-term process. Success has been found in self-harmers who desire to end the self-harming, are highly motivated and are persistent with the necessary treatments.

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