Self injury as treatent for anxiety attacks

[jessikaspaz]

I have been self medicating myself for years for anxiety attacks by using self injury. I guess this is not so common since most SI people do it for some sort of rush or self dedrigation. I was wondering how common it is for other people not medicated for anxiety attacks to use this method of self treatment?

[ShainaW]

While I couldn't imagine ever hurting myself (aside from maybe destroying the skin around my nails from constant nervous picking >.<) I can understand and empathize how doing it could potentially help someone snap out of an anxiety attack.  Sometimes when my mind gets tired and I let one of those "doom thought cycles" start I want to slap my own face just to make it shut up.  I assume it's more like pulling yourself away from the thoughts by focusing your mind on something else physically instead of doing it mentally.  I don't agree with it being a healthy way to take, I just hope it's all very 'on the surface' and that you're not doing anything that could really harm you.

[jessikaspaz]

I have been to a doc about it, they have a very lax attitude about it since I do it so infrequently.  I do not get a rush, it just numbs me during an attack and makes me snap out of it. It is not some high, or rush or whatever.

[jessikaspaz]

It has nothing to do with a cry for help, the sensation actually srtops the attack and regulates the breathing.

[nursegirl6572]

Sorry, afterthought here...I re-read your post...and realized I sort of skirted around you're whole question....the answet is YES, some people who self injure ABSOLUTELY use it as a form of anxiety relief.

It's just another "outlet"...some people drink, turn to drugs, some cut, some choose to engage in dangerous promiscuous behavior.  It is all about the ACTION we choose to reduce our anxiety.

None of which, of course SOLVE the root problem, and while it may temporarily make us feel better...in the end....it makes us feel worse.  We are hard enough on ourselves (people with anxiety)...than to go adding the guilt of turning to these other menthods to get some relief.

I hope you are able to find some help....

[nursegirl6572]

I couldn't agree more with the above posters.  "Cutting" has been on the rise, and while I'm with js as far as not being able to understand it personally, from what I've read, it is like a ritual is for an OCD'er as far as relieving anxiety.

I've watched a few programs about it...and the cutters say that they feel a sense of being "alive" when they see the blood.  It is also along the lines of seld-degredation as someone else mentioned.

Jessi, you definitely need to seek help.  Many of us struggle every day with anxiety/depression/panic....there IS help out there.  Not only is what you are doing certainly not healthy for your mind in the end, but like JS said...you are opening yourself up to the possibility of a serious infection, and scarring.  MRSA is sooo bigtime on the rise in this country, and believe me, having been a Nurse for 15 years, you do not want to go down that road.

Call your physician immediately for an eval so that they can recommend the proper course of treatment.  One program I watched (Intervention) recommended inpatient therapy for a while (almost like a "de-tox" in a sense).  That isn't to say you couldn't handle it as an outpatient...I'm just sharing with you what I saw.

Lastly, I KNOW that most cutters only inflict very slight injuries, enough to draw blood, but if you ever get to the point where you decide to increase the severity of your injuries, or have thoughts of suicide, PLEASE seek kelp immediately.  

I wish you the very best....and hope you can come back to share some of what you are going through.  Take Care.

A peaceful day to do you all.

[JSGeare]

I confess that I am somewhat non-plussed by self-injury and a very cautious attitude about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) occuring in the SAME person. I assume that you thoroughly wash and sanitize before and after each procedure. I really have no clue how often self-abuse occurs in anxiety patients as compared to the general population, but I believe it is fair to guess that a certain amount of it occurs as an incidental symptom -such as twirling and pulling out hair (my habit, at the time) biting fingernails and finger tip skin and other such nibbling type behaviors.

But that's altogether different than the deliberate act of carving on yourself, hitting yourself or other forms of injury. You refer to it as "self-medicating." In what way does the injury give relief from anxiety?

I suspect that if you are able to get rid of the anxiety, the self-injury will also disappear, but for right now there is so little other detail it is hard to say.

Have you seen a doctor or maybe a psychiatrist about it?

[sumihari]

Hi Jessikaspaz,

I don't know how common it is but I suspect it is some sort of cry for help from the pain and desperation you may feel from anxiety attacks.

Please consult your doctor and a psychologist to help you work through your issues .

Take care