ABSTRACT
Generally, people who deliberately hurt themselves do so because they feel that they need to, and that the act itself makes them feel better for a while and more able to cope. People report overwhelming feelings of misery, emotional distress and hopelessness which lead them to the apparent solution of inflicting pain on their bodies. For some people who harm themselves the solution is felt to be the answer, but for friends, relatives and professionals the solution becomes the problem. To those who are self-harming, cutting serves as a way of owning and controlling the body, and seems to be a solution for those cutting to emotional upset. In situations where a young woman who cuts herself feels overwhelmed or upset by others, and by her own complicated and apparently uncontrollable needs, she can turn and attack her body, and through her aggressive action find some comfort and relief. Through these actions emotional pain becomes physical pain, and therefore easier to deal with, and the metaphorical distinction between body and self is diffused.
