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* Self-mutilation can be addictive.
Women self-mutilate far more commonly than men.
* Women who self-mutilate tend to be perfectionists, unable to handle or verbally express intense emotions. Typically, they are dissatisfied with themselves and their bodies.
* Most women begin self-mutilating in adolescence and continue through adulthood.
* Generally, women who self-mutilate are White, well educated, and middle-to-upper class.

Self-mutilation releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in the brain triggered by drugs like cocaine and alcohol. The act also releases emotional tension, so the experience often reinforces the behavior. The feelings leading up to the act are similar to those suffered by an addict undergoing withdrawal: increased anxiety, tension, agitation and anger. Like an addict calmed by a fix, a self-mutilator is soothed by the physical pain of the injury. Self-mutilation often becomes an obsessive-compulsive act and, despite repeated attempts to quit, most self-mutilators continue their behavior through adulthood.

Shrinks believe that women may self-mutilate more commonly than men because women are socialized to internalize anger and men are conditioned to externalize it. Women are more likely to vent anger on themselves, while men find it more socially acceptable to direct it toward others.

The first self-mutilation episode frequently occurs between the ages of 10 and 16, often due to a major change in the adolescent's life, or a family history of violence or abuse. The behavior often continues out of a need for control or attention; a desire to transform emotional pain into physical, more manageable, pain; and the addictive responses described above.

Treatment options include counseling, drug therapy and hospitalization.

For information and treatment methods, call 1-800-DONT CUT

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