[Mysterygirl202]

Heres wat I dont understand and need somehelp on. Self injirybis not considered a disorder yet eating problems are considered "eating disorsers". Arent they the same thing? They are mainly used as a coping skill and are both effects of "disordered" thinking from what they consider "disordered". I think neither of them are disorders. I think they are both just bad coping skills. Sounds better to me anyways. Id much rather have a bad coping skill tgen some sort of freakish "disorder" (i mean no disrespect read my posts before u think ido)

[Chatnoir]

I can't speak for self injury but for eating disorders I found that for anorexia it's not so much a coping thing. Your whole perception is off, no matter how thin you get you always see yourself as fat, food is the enemy and so is anyone who wants to make you eat, compulsively exercising all the time, counting every single calorie of everything you do eat and calculating the exercise needed to burn it off, weighing yourself all day every day. It takes over your life, and most of the time you don't even notice, it's normal to you because your biggest fear is gaining weight. I speak from my own experiences of course, not everyone is effected the same way, and compared to others I've met mine was only moderately bad. Although I am healthy in that respect now I will always have to make a conscious decision not to relapse.

[dirt69juggalo]

I thought its a disorder cause its usually a trait of a bigger disorder like borderline personality

I got a short quote from this website, which basically sums up what I think:

http://cowichanvalley.cmha.bc.ca/get...self-harm#what

"It isn’t a mental illness—and in many cases, it isn’t a sign that someone has a mental illness. Instead, self-harm is usually a way to deal with difficult feelings or show distress."

To me, self-injury is a coping mechanism (a negative one, obviously). It can be a sign of a mental illness, but it doesn't have to be. I believe anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders are quite different than self-injury. I'm not trying to belittle self-injury by any means (I struggled with it in the past, and still have urges sometimes), but I don't believe it should be classified as a mental disorder on its own.

[Indie'sOK]

Originally Posted by melissa.recovering

I got a short quote from this website, which basically sums up what I think:

http://cowichanvalley.cmha.bc.ca/get...self-harm#what

"It isn’t a mental illness—and in many cases, it isn’t a sign that someone has a mental illness. Instead, self-harm is usually a way to deal with difficult feelings or show distress."

To me, self-injury is a coping mechanism (a negative one, obviously). It can be a sign of a mental illness, but it doesn't have to be. I believe anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders are quite different than self-injury. I'm not trying to belittle self-injury by any means (I struggled with it in the past, and still have urges sometimes), but I don't believe it should be classified as a mental disorder on its own.

I agree. While it's often a sign of a bigger issue, it doesn't have to be. Sometimes it just is what it is.

[Mysterygirl202]

Thanks for making this clearer to me. I think i just have bad coping mechanisms. I dont think i have a "disorder". I was just trying o figure iut tge difference an what you guys said about anorexia and such makes sense now. Thanks!

[googley]

In the DSM5 (the next version of the DSM) they are considering adding a new disorder called Non-Suicidal Self Injury. You can see the proposed diagnostic criteria here: http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevision...n.aspx?rid=443

They are adding it because right now self injury is only a symptom of BPD. But it is recognized in the field as being a behavior that is used by people who do not have BPD.

[Mysterygirl202]

Wow! Never knew this! Thanks!