DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS THEMES RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, SELF-HARM, DEPRESSION, SEXUAL ABUSE, AND SUICIDE. IT DOES NOT INTEND TO PROMOTE OR PROVIDE READERS UNSOLICITED ADVICE ON MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH COULD BE CONSTRUED AS HARMFUL, INSENSITIVE, UNETHICAL, AND UNPROFESSIONAL. WE BELIEVE SEEKING HELP FROM MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS IS STILL A MUST.
Cassandra, 24, was a high school sophomore when she started cutting her skin after experiencing one of the most traumatic moments of her life.
Her ex partner took advantage of her when she was just 14 years old. It was such a traumatic experience that Cassandra, not her real name, found the need to find peace through self harm. Ironically, while cutting her skin, the young adolescent was punishing herself, too.
She blamed herself for the horrible experience. Because of this, she felt the need to inflict harm on herself as a form of punishment.
Using a blade she bought at a nearby convenience store, the young adolescent lacerated her skin multiple times until the numbness and the disarray inside her head quieted down.
While the notion that self-harming provides a sense of relief seems like a contradiction, studies have shown that hurting oneself could alleviate one’s negative feelings.
Clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Joseph De Roxas said at least 15 to 20 percent of teenagers and young adults, and six percent of the adult population suffer from this condition.
De Roxas said that self-harm is a layman’s term for non-suicidal self-injury or NSSI. This refers to the intentional or deliberate harm a person inflicts to themselves without the intent to end their lives.
There are several forms of self-mutilation, said psychologist Karen Sol, such as cutting the skin, hitting or banging oneself against the wall, scratching, pulling one’s hair, and other forms that aim to cause pain.
“Kahit anong pamamaraan basta ang goal ay saktan ang ating sarili can be considered as self-harming behavior,” she said.
De Roxas further mentioned that burning and pinching the skin and swallowing toxic substances are forms of self harm.
Self-harming behaviors are often done to manage or cope emotional crisis and distress, said Sol.
She said that self-mutilation is a way for people to regain control over the overwhelming emotions that they can’t handle on their own.
De Roxas echoed this, saying that self-injury helps people alleviate unbearable emotional pain. Sometimes, individuals do this to punish themselves for situations that are outside their control.
Moreover, he said it is a cradle of comfort.
“Usually, harming themselves produces that feeling of tranquility and solace. Kapag nag-perform sila ng NSSI, it could result in reduced negative emotions and feeling of calm and relief,” De Roxas told republicasia.
For teenagers, on the other hand, self-harming may be a result of their brains’ inability to properly decide when experiencing change and other overpowering feelings.
This is because their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps them think maturely, is not fully developed yet. Because of this, they tend to get overwhelmed and resort to self-harm in order to manage the crisis they are going through.
“Yung prefrontal cortex ay nakakatulong para makapag-think tayo maturely. At sa stage na ito, ang mga adolescents ay hindi pa matured when it comes to thinking, when it comes to problem-solving,” De Roxas said.
“And the way for them to reduce the impact of that negative emotion is through self-harm or self-mutilation,” he added.
People who find solace in NSSI often use this as a coping mechanism. Because of this, both the brain adapts this coping to help the body in regaining its stability, said Sol.
While most people think self-injury is directly linked to suicide, both psychologists said this isn’t always the case. They reiterated that when people do self-harm, they do not have the intention to cease their existence.
However, they noted that although self-mutilation is non-suicidal, some people have the tendency to take their own lives.
“It doesn’t lead to suicide. But there are a few studies that would actually show na meron pa rin, mga konting percentage ng mga population na nag-lead to kill themselves,” De Roxas said.
Some of Sol’s clients who have done forms of self-harm often wear long sleeve shirts or sweaters to hide their wounds, bruises, and scars.
She further added people should watch out for cuts, burns, contusions, and other physical injuries. Some individuals who commit self-mutilation often tend to isolate themselves and show signs of hopelessness and anxiety.
Individuals who engage in NSSI don’t always stick to one form of self-harm, De Roxas said.
“Others would self-injure in multiple ways and means. So, hindi lang sya parang nag-cucut ka lang, nagbe-blade ka lang. You also engage in other methods of self-injury,” he said.
This is where tattoos or body arts are used as an alternative.
Chii Bustamante, 33, said tattoos have been her outlet to avoid self-harm.
Initially, she would physically hurt herself to silence the negative thoughts that swirled inside her head. Three years ago, she shifted to getting inked instead of cutting her skin.
Bustamante has many tattoos and she said at least 20 of them were stamped on her skin as self-harm prevention. Tattoos also helped in covering up her scars.
“Naging outlet ko nga yung self-harm to quiet down yung feeling nung mga bad thoughts,” she said.
This is also the case for Cassandra. She told republicasia that it was during the time when she saw her mother cry after discovering her scars that she decided to use a tattoo as a substitute for self-harm.
“I tried booking a tattoo appointment nung time na I feel like cutting myself again. Although hindi sya kasing sakit ng pag-cut, it kind of alleviates the turmoil inside me,” she said.
De Roxas recommends tattooing rather than doing NSSI. It is a healthier coping mechanism, and there were cases where tattoos helped people gain a higher level of self-worth, making them feel more empowered.
“If that tattoo would make you feel good about yourself, make you more self-empowered, elevate your level of self-esteem, your level of self-confidence, boost your ego, then definitely do it, rather than doing a NSSI,” said De Roxas.
Tattoos helped Kel Torres, 24, express himself and convert his negative feelings to art. It started after his brother’s death in 2021, a grieving Torres opted to get an armband tattoo to release his sadness and to commemorate his brother’s life.
The pain from the needle gave him the comfort his body needed during that difficult time of his life.
“Hindi kasi talaga ako maka-iyak sa bahay, pinrogram ko yung sarili ko na kailangang maging strong ako that time kasi kailangan ng kakapitan dun sa bahay. Ayun, hanggang sa di ko na kinaya kaya nagpa-tattoo ako,” Torres said.
Cassandra said that aside from the comfort they provide, tattoos have become a trophy for Cassandra. The artwork on her body was a reminder that she won over the silent but destructive wars inside her head.
“Sa’kin it’s a reminder of the battles I have overcome and I am yet to surpass,” she said.
This is also the same for Bustamante, noting that her tattoos are evidence that she was able to champion the struggles in her life by staying alive.
“Para sa’kin kasi para s’yang proof na we won another battle today, we don’t know how long we could go on, but at least we surpassed whatever it is [that happened] that day,” she told republicasia.
De Roxas said that tattoos are a keepsake for people involved in NSSI that life is beautiful and they still have a purpose in life.
“It’s sort of like a reminder for these people of this parang negative event or episode in their life na na-experience nila, they would get reminded of how they’ve survived after that ordeal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Joseph Butlay, 24, a tattoo artist from Guhitinta said that most of his clients often ask him to ink semicolon tattoos as a reminder for them to carry on with their lives no matter how arduous or tiring it might be.
“Ang madalas nilang pinapa-tattoo ay semicolon para [ma-remind sila na dapat] continue lang sa buhay, na-reremind talaga sila na tuloy-tuloy lang kahit anong problema,” he told republicasia in a separate interview.
Bustamante added that when she looks at her tattoos, it evokes a sense of hope within her that whatever she is going through in her life, she would be able to persist as she did before.
“Kapag nakita mo sya, masasabi mo sa sarili mo na okay na-surpass natin sya today, hindi tayo natapos ngayong araw,” she said.
The semicolon is a symbol of continuity and hope, and when one gets this inked to their skin, it becomes a reminder to carry on from whatever situation they are suffering from.
Aside from getting tattoos, Sol said that people who commit self-injury can also do mindfulness meditation. This is a breathing technique that allows people to achieve the tranquility the brain needs during times of crisis.
De Roxas recommends people to do catharsis. This involves venting out bottled up emotions in order to ease their emotional distress.
“Kasi kapag tinatago mo, kapag nire-repress mo yung emotional baggage, nasa loob mo lang yan,” said De Roxas. “So, gumawa ka ng paraan para ma-release mo, ma-vent out mo itong mga emotions na ito.”
He mentioned that talking to someone you trust or crying are good ways to release negative feelings.
He also said sublimation helps in making people feel better. In psychology, sublimation refers to the act of finding alternative activities to express one’s emotions. This may be through writing, journaling, and other forms of art, such as singing, dancing, sculpting, and painting.
“I would encourage my clients to sublimate their feelings into something that is in line with their passion, visual arts. Kung ikaw ay mahilig sa painting, sa drawing, sa sculpture, so instead na itago mo yung emotion mo, doon mo nalang ibuhos sa pagpipinta,” he said.
Exercise is also a good adaptive coping mechanism. De Roxas said when people engage themselves in physical activities, their body produces happy hormones, including neurotransmitters like adrenaline, endorphin, and serotonin. These hormones help people reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and other overwhelming emotions that often lead to self-mutilation.
While tattoos may have positive effects on people involved in NSSI, Sol and De Roxas underscored that it is still necessary to seek help from mental health professionals and institutions.
This will help them identify and resolve the underlying critical problems that push them to hurt themselves, allowing them the opportunity to heal from their problems.
“It’s very crucial na i-take natin ito seriously and then mag-seek tayo ng professional health para matulungan natin yung tao kung paano i-nanavigate yung mga overwhelming feelings and thoughts na mayroon sya,” said Sol.
There are many mental health professionals, agencies, and institutions who are willing to cater to people suffering from this kind of mental health issue for free, De Roxas said.
Help is available. Talk to someone today.
National Institute for Mental Health
0917-899-USAP (8727)
0917-989-8727
Philippine Red Cross
24/7 suicide prevention hotline, toll-free HOPELINE 2919 (for Globe & TM Subscribers)
091 7558 4673 or 8044673
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