M NEXUS INSIGHT
// arts

Why does self-harm make some people feel better?

By Sophia Aguilar

Why does self-harm make some people feel better?

This doesn’t mean that Tylenol is the next Prozac, but it does show just how intertwined emotional and physical pain are in the brain. People who self-harm, writes Arnold, have “learned that, while the pain peaks with self-injury, it then comes down the other side. The physical pain lessens – as does the emotional pain.”

What to do if you feel the urge to self harm?

You can also scribble and doodle whatever you’re feeling into your journal instead of on your body through self-harm. If you want to share your writing with others who care, you can post on The Mighty using #MightyPoets or #SelfHarm. 5. Contact a Loved One You’re not alone, so if you have the urge to self-harm, reach out to someone you love.

What’s the difference between self harm and cutting?

Like myself, many people associate self-harm with cutting. However, as the name suggests, self-harm is any intentional form of self-inflicted injury. First of all, self-harm is a reaction to a stressful situation. Subsequently, people self-harm for many reasons. These reasons often correlate with the age a person starts to self-harm.

How does comfort food help with self harm?

In our Mighty survey of 2,500 people with a history of self-harm, 31% reported they use comfort food as a way to cope with self-harm urges. Good food not only tastes good, but it can actually trigger the reward system in your brain, which might temporarily make you feel better.

This doesn’t mean that Tylenol is the next Prozac, but it does show just how intertwined emotional and physical pain are in the brain. People who self-harm, writes Arnold, have “learned that, while the pain peaks with self-injury, it then comes down the other side. The physical pain lessens – as does the emotional pain.”

You can also scribble and doodle whatever you’re feeling into your journal instead of on your body through self-harm. If you want to share your writing with others who care, you can post on The Mighty using #MightyPoets or #SelfHarm. 5. Contact a Loved One You’re not alone, so if you have the urge to self-harm, reach out to someone you love.

Like myself, many people associate self-harm with cutting. However, as the name suggests, self-harm is any intentional form of self-inflicted injury. First of all, self-harm is a reaction to a stressful situation. Subsequently, people self-harm for many reasons. These reasons often correlate with the age a person starts to self-harm.

In our Mighty survey of 2,500 people with a history of self-harm, 31% reported they use comfort food as a way to cope with self-harm urges. Good food not only tastes good, but it can actually trigger the reward system in your brain, which might temporarily make you feel better.