What is autoaggression? Clinical psychologist names types of self-destructive behavior

Modern psychology identifies several forms of destructive, or destructive, behavior. The most common is autoaggression, when a person tends to harm himself: both physical and psychological. What it is, how it is manifested and treated, we deal with the expert.

What we will tell about

What is autoaggression?

Research lecturer and clinical psychologist at the European Medical Center (EMC)

“Autoaggression is a manifestation of deviant behavior. It is expressed in the infliction of physical or emotional harm to oneself.”

The manifestation of autoaggressive behavior can also be observed in psychopathological conditions, such as depressive, autistic disorder, and personality disorders.

Causes of autoaggression

A single cause of autoaggression does not exist. It is caused by the interaction of various factors. Among them, a certain biological predisposition (predisposition), biological vulnerability.

In addition, the development of autoaggression is influenced by individual characteristics of the nervous system. It happens that the parts of the brain responsible for the regulation of emotions have some peculiarities. Therefore, a person can experience excessive emotions and have a lack of ability to regulate at the time of experiencing stress.

In addition to the biological component, environment contributes to the development of autoaggression. How our reactions are shaped and how we learn to deal with our experiences is directly related to the environment in which we developed. It is important what educational strategies parents used and how relationships with peers were built.

What types of autoaggression are there?

Autoaggression has a cognitive component – certain thoughts including self-blame, self-criticism and self-injury. They are all related and lead to low self-esteem. In some directions of psychotherapy, such states are called the “inner critic”. Its voice can be of a punitive and punishing nature.

This “inner critic” originates in childhood, when the environment and context in which the child grows up is characterized by excessive toxicity, criticism and cruelty. Subsequently, the words of significant adults who were insufficiently attentive to the child and his or her needs, or of peers, are transformed into self-criticism and lead to autoaggression.

People who have difficulty with emotional-behavioral regulation have another expression of autoaggression – self-harming or autoaggressive behavior. In uncomfortable situations, such people experience guilt, shame, sadness, or anger. The inability to cope with these emotions and the lack of skillful, constructive coping strategies can lead to a person resorting to self-harming behavior.

At this point, shifting the focus to physical pain or self-punishment helps shift the focus away from the emotional experience. This provides relief, but only temporarily, and subsequently leads to repeated episodes as this pattern of behavior becomes entrenched.

Self-harming behavior is an important problem. More and more adolescents and young adults are coming forward with this request. The health risks of self-harming behavior are not only aesthetic defects, but also serious tissue damage that can lead to infection and even, in extreme cases, death.

Another type of autoaggressive behavior is latent. In this case, a person resorts to bad habits as a form of self-destruction. It can also be extreme sports and risky behavior, which psychologists associate with autoaggressive tendencies of the psyche.

What are the consequences of autoaggression?

A person who is prone to autoaggressive behavior experiences discomfort and uncomfortable emotions.

He does not have enough strategies to cope with it, so it will limit his life, it will be more difficult for him to move towards his goals, he may have unstable self-esteem, difficulties in building personal, business and professional relationships.

Autoaggression leads to serious physical injuries, emotional exhaustion, and even suicidal thoughts. It also exacerbates existing psychological problems and creates a vicious cycle of self-destruction.

How to treat it?

Autoaggression is a serious problem that requires attention and professional help. If you notice autoaggressive behavior in yourself, the best solution is to contact a specialist – a psychologist or a psychotherapist.

If your child or someone you know has a problem with self-harming behavior, it is important to respond as soon as possible. Children are more receptive to therapy, so seeing a professional when a problem arises can greatly speed up the treatment process.

There are various programs available to work with these conditions.

If self-destructive behavior is seen in children with neurodevelopmental characteristics (e.g., autoaggression in autistic disorders), a speech-language pathologist or behavioral therapist may be helpful.

In situations where autoaggressive behavior is seen in adolescents or young adults, a psychotherapist and emotional behavioral regulation programs will be helpful.

There is Marsha Linahan’s Dialectics of Behavioral Therapy program. It consists of modules aimed at teaching stress coping skills and coping with auto-aggressive and self-harming behaviors.

In working with adults, cognitive-behavioral therapy or compassion-focused therapy is helpful. In the latter, the person tries to replace the criticizing inner voice with a benevolent one.

There are techniques of benevolent, compassionate inner dialog for self-support. In other words, we demonstrate that self-criticism leads to a bad mood. When you are in a bad mood, it is very difficult to handle some things, it is harder to go after your goals.

Only a benevolent attitude towards ourselves helps us to move forward. This approach has a scientific basis: it confirms the uselessness and harmfulness of internal criticism and that a different attitude to oneself can lead to positive changes in life.

Prognosis and prevention of autoaggression

Autoaggression is a serious psychological condition that requires timely intervention and professional help. The earlier the signs of autoaggression are detected and a person seeks help from a specialist, the sooner he or she can return to normal life and avoid possible complications.

Prevention of autoaggression begins with fighting stress and reducing the number of situations that can cause strong negative emotions. It is important to teach children from childhood how to cope with conflicts, to express their feelings and emotions without fear and aggression, using, for example, physical activity or sports as ways to relax.

Harmonious and supportive family relationships also play an important role in the prevention of autoaggression. It is important that the child feels safe and secure around close people.