[quote name='XchikaXchikaX']if it's contrived, there is still pathology which drives her to attention-seeking behaviors. maybe she was abused, who knows. there is still a mental illness if she's threatening to cut herself, it just may not be depression.[/QUOTE]
That's my point: it could be any number of things.
It could be the legitimate impulsive cutting syndrome, or some form of self-destructive depression (suicide-lite).
Hence my allusion towards her parents knowing, and seemingly not enforcing anything. Maybe they know something others don't.
[quote name='XchikaXchikaX']obviously you didnt pay attention in psychology class and bio class. they're both addictive behaviors most commonly associated with some sort of mental or physical trauma which causes either post traumatic stress disorder, depression or psychosis.[/quote]
Er... Wait. You do realize there are many mental illnesses in which cutting stems from, right? The traditional cutters syndrome (self-injury) to depression to postpartum to the addiction of pain (whether it be physical or mental; or for the rut sensation or the endorphins). Essentially, many of these share similar characteristics, and often hold hands.
However, some don't hold characteristics of being addicted to the direct act of cutting -- most of which do this impulsively.
Self-injury (SI, the "cutting" that mostly females commit) is an unhealthy coping mechanism, as they don't know how to deal with emotions properly. The cutting is a physical manifestation of a strong feeling in which they do not properly know how to express.
Often times, self-injury is associated with depression, bi-polar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Now, sure; drug addiction is something you "can't control". Addictive personalities are something that's common amongst people, which hook people into habits... but you aren't inherently addicted to drugs -- mentally. Sure, there's a link between human chemistry and the (organic or synthetic) chemistry of drugs, but that's not my point.
My point is that the link between drugs and addiction, and the link between not knowing how cope with emotion and self-injury are two different processes, with two different ends to the means.
Addiction stems from drugs -- it's not a mental illness (arguably if it holds hands with compulsive behavior). Cutting stems from a mental illness, not an addiction. You just don't decide to self-mutilate -- it's a disorder. You do, however, just decide to take drugs.
Interestingly enough, often times, people who self-injure are into drugs... but that just furthers the self-destructive behavior.
On the contrary, there are people who self-mutilate, additively, for endorphins -- a natural brain chemical / hormone.
There are people addicted to "pain" in another sense, where they are addicted to gloom / rut of depression and physical pain -- Munchausen's syndrome, for instance, though vicarious.
ed.
k
