The Link Between Eating Disorders and Self-Mutilation

Self-mutilation, also known as self-harm or self-injury, is the act of intentionally harming one’s own body through cutting, burning, hair-pulling or a wide range of behaviors that inflict damage. Self-mutilation is common among people suffering from eating disorders. According to recent statistics, about 25 percent of people with eating disorders also engage in some form of self-mutilation, self-injury or self-harm.

For many, self-mutilation is a way to respond to or alleviate intense emotional feelings, often the result of some kind of trauma or stress. Those who self-mutilate externalize injuries in order to express what they’re feeling on the inside.

In order to recover from self-mutilation, it’s important to find a healthy way to counter strong feelings such as journal writing, talking with family or friends or meditating.

If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder and self-mutilation, A Place of Hope can help. Our eating disorder treatment program focuses on the whole person to foster recovery from the inside-out. To find out more about our recovery programs, please contact us today.