Self-Harm & Trauma

Trauma compromises someone’s sense of safety. Many trauma survivors experience intense feelings related to sadness, fear, hopelessness, and shame. They may also experience other related symptoms, including: 

• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Panic attacks
• Appetite issues
• Interpersonal problems
• Withdrawal from friends and/or family
• Hypervigilance
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Racing thoughts
• Anhedonia (lack of pleasure in usual activities)
• Suicidal thoughts 

Sometimes these symptoms occur just after the event and decrease on their own. However, in cases of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these symptoms may persist for several months or years. Research indicates that approximately 7–8% of the U.S. population will have PTSD during their lifetime. 

While each person responds to trauma differently, it can undoubtedly impact every area of someone’s functioning. Trauma can disrupt their self-esteem, affect the quality of their relationships, and also impact work and school performance.

There is a strong relationship between the two issues, in that any history of trauma seems to be a significant risk factor for self-harm. One study found that 71.3% of all participants who struggled with self-harm also reported a history of childhood abuse. 

There are many types of self-harm including cutting yourself, burning yourself, punching yourself, poking objects into yourself and many more.   

As mentioned, trauma is also a risk factor for adolescent or adult mental health issues. People who self-harm often struggle with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or substance use disorders. Unfortunately, these issues can reinforce one another. The more someone engages in self-harm, the more pronounced their mental health issues might become. Similarly, the more someone struggles with their mental health, the more they may want to engage in self-harm to cope. 

Additionally, self-harm often serves as a buffer to manage symptoms related to trauma. Sometimes people feel emotions so intensely that self-harm acts to redirect the emotional pain to a more physical one. Other times, people report feeling nothing at all. Therefore, self-harm breaks through that numbness by creating sensations. 

That said, these strategies do not work. Self-harm tends to trigger more pronounced levels of shame, fear, and sadness. Moreover, it doesn’t make the individual forget the traumatic events, it may simply pause the recall for a moment. This means that self-harm often delays trauma recovery.