{"id":11047,"date":"2026-03-01T11:32:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T11:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/?post_type=artikelen&p=11047"},"modified":"2026-03-01T11:34:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T11:34:40","slug":"self-harm-and-trauma","status":"publish","type":"artikelen","link":"https:\/\/traumanet.nl\/en\/artikelen\/aandacht-voor-zelfbeschadiging-bij-trauma\/","title":{"rendered":"Attention to self-harm in the context of trauma"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On March 1st it is Self-Injury Awareness Day<\/i>. This day is dedicated to self-harm worldwide. At Traumanet we also take a moment to reflect on this.<\/strong><\/p>

Self-harm means that someone intentionally hurts themselves, without the intention to end their own life. It is also called self-mutilation or self-harming. Behind self-harming behavior often lies much hidden pain.\u00a0<\/p>

Many people who harm themselves have traumatic experiences<\/a> Experiencing and struggling with intense feelings and thoughts that can be overwhelming. Self-harm is therefore never isolated and always has a function. For example, it can be used to express anger, to reduce emotions, to reduce tension, or to experience control. Understanding the function of the behavior and the pain that underlies it is an important step towards recovery.<\/p><\/div>

Self-harm as self-regulation<\/h2>

In the following webinar from the Centre for Sexual Violence (CSG), our editor-in-chief Anne Marsman was guest speaker with Iva Bicanic (clinical psychologist, professor of sexual abuse of children and director of knowledge development at the CSG). In the webinar, Anne (starting at 08:20 min) explains how traumatic experiences can disrupt the stress system and how self-harm can be a form of self-regulation. She discusses, among other things:<\/p>