Brain biology affects self-harm behavior

Natalie Vesterberg had hurt herself since middle school to relieve her anxiety when, about two years ago, she was asked to participate in a research project at Linköping University.

- I answered yes, because I wanted to help others and I myself had not received such good help with my self-harm behavior, says Natalie Vesterberg.

You can see how the study progressed and how Natalie responded to the result in the clip above.

According to researcher Irene Perini at Linköping University, girls' brains work, like yours and mine, so that when, for example, we see a picture of ourselves in social media, the brain registers an expectation of being judged as important. The researchers can look at pictures from the magnetic camera, but the result also shows a difference between girls with and without self-harm behavior.

- In the girls with self-harm behavior, two other parts of the brain were also activated, which are usually linked to feelings and reflection, she says.

The study shows that the young women with self-harm behavior more often perceived that they got their thumbs down than they got, and it also affected them more strongly than the other young women.

- But it is nice to know that it is not strange to me, but that is how I work, says Natalie.

Natalie believes that her behavior is based on the biology of her brain and that she now understands that she is more fragile than young women who do not harm themselves.

- We know that good social interactions are especially important during adolescence and that there is a link between social stress and self-harm behavior in young people. The feeling of not being able to, receiving criticism and feeling rejected in a social context is often behind self-harm behaviors, says Irene Perini.

Irene Perini has worked with Maria Zetterqvist, clinical psychologist and researcher, who for many years has worked with young women with self-harm behavior.

- It is important that you know that you have a vulnerability and that you become aware that you have a tendency to interpret negatively, says Maria Zetterqvist.

If you have that awareness, you can train a variety of strategies such as stopping and registering when it is a difficult situation and asking yourself if what has really happened is true. If you have been rejected and may be able to get help from parents, friends and acquaintances to make a less painful interpretation. When we are rejected, we become sad and need comfort in order not to accentuate self-criticism and perhaps hurt ourselves, says Maria Zetterqvist.

This study is unique, and according to both researchers, more studies are needed to broaden the results.

Natalie Vesterberg says she believes the result can make a difference. Those with this behavior understand that they are not alone and that there is a biological cause for their vulnerability that they may be aware of. For Natalie, the study has contributed to a major change in life.

- So it has helped me to understand myself better than before and for almost a year now I am injury free. It's very nice and I've learned other strategies when the anxiety comes, says Natalie Vesterberg.

When she feels ill and feels alone, she talks to friends and maybe especially with her dad.