Interesting link on children and self-injury behavior -

http://www.childadvocate.net/Skin-picking_and_Self-injurious_Behavior.htm

mood disorders can contribute to this.

# Pain leads to release of B-endorphins


o Self-injury stimulates release of endorphins leads to release of tension
+ Is reinforcing and leads to maintenance of self-injurious behavior

I would say cheek chewing is a form of skin picking. They mention it on that link too.

"Child learns that self-injurious behavior is reinforcing through family modeling of abuse, where pain is linked to caring or control. Thus, self-harm behavior is reinforced by the environment."

Were you abused as a child? I was verbally and physically abused - got the wooden spoon treatment a lot which felt like a real lack of control for me. I think the quote above sums it up perfectly and I thikn of one has a mood disorder, they are more prone to becoming emotionally dysregulated and trying to calm down in that way or zone out.

I have BPD and bipolar disorder. I am a picker and a scratcher, but that, for me, is a symptom of BPD and not bipolar disorder.

I did not start SI until I was married though I had the urge since I was 15 or 16. Finally, I just snapped.

I left that part out of my last response.

I too have symptoms of BPD but do fit the whole profile. Sometimes one masquerades as the other and people get misdiagnosed. But I think having BP makes it easier to get dysregulated emotionally and then to engage in BPD type of behaviors and vice versa. I now see my self-abuse as a child as a reaction to lack of attention and abuse in my family. I also think it was a form of OCD. I don't know if was nature or nurture, but I was having problems very young with my mood, before I ever got spanked. Temper tantrums out of this world, which is probably why I got spanked too. This stuff runs in my family too. I don't think I had a genetic chance anyway.

I meant I do NOT fit the whole BPD dx.

7 years old.... I stopped at 16.

I self injured often from the time I was 6- currently, It veries however, most of the time it was in a manic eppisode and I would be seeing red with anger and would punch myself, crab at my cheeks and eyes and claw them until I blead. Most of the time now however, I pick scabs until I have HUGE nasty infected sores I've had one I've been picking at for over 3 months of my abdomin, its a giant puss filled whole in my skin, but whenever I get bored, or frustrated I just claw at it.

That is interesting. Although I no longer do the skin picking on purpose, if I have a sore or anything, I tend to pick at it and delay healing.

Im not sure I pick at it on purpose anymore either, I wake up in the morning with bloody hands, I do it when Im not paying attention, driving, or sitting watching TV- when Im angry however I will LOOK for scabs on my body to pick. I've been one giant scar since as far back as I can remember.

I was 9. I was a bit of an out cast and my Father had just gotten married for the 3rd time. Of course today I prefer tattoo's to cutting. It's prettier and it cost money so I don't do it often.

I was 14 when I started and I just quit a few months ago AGAIN. I had stopped before for years, then relapsed with one cut and the cycle continued. This time, I'm quit for good. The latest relapse led to just one cut. I have scars all over my arms and legs.

It's not worth it to me anymore. There are MUCH better ways to cope and I hope that everyone who self-injures can find some of those ways.

12 yrs old. my diagnosis are PTSD and Bipolar. I think it's part of my bipolar rather than ptsd.