Causes

Self-mutilation is a severe impulse control disorder that is often associated with other psychiatric disorders, such as:

• Borderline personality disorder (most common)
• Depression
• Substance abuse ( alcoholism or drug abuse )
• Eating disorders ( anorexia or bulimia )
• Psychosis
• Antisocial personality disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Brain—Psychological Organ

Self-mutilation is often associated with psychiatric disorders that may be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.

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It can also be associated with neurologic or metabolic disorders such as:

• Syringomyelia (a disorder where cysts form on the spinal cord)
• Tourette syndrome (a neurological disorder)
• Autism (a disorder that results in social, behavioral, and language problems)
• Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (a genetic disorder)

Risk Factors

These factors increase your chance of developing this condition. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors:

• Childhood sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
• Violence or other abusive relationships in childhood home
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Being in prison
• Sex: female
• Age: adolescence
• Mental retardation
• Autism
• Certain metabolic disorders