Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Self Injury (SI)
Frequently seen in victims of rape and sexual assault. OCD can involve repetitive thoughts or ritual behaviours (sometimes
with food or cleaning).
A related topic is self injury (SI).
Many victims of rape cut or hurt themselves (you are
not alone). The sites below list coping mechanisms to stop self injury.
ocd international web site
The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation (OCF), with more than 10,000 members, is an international
not-for-profit organization composed of people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders, their families,
friends, professionals and other concerned individuals.
Founded by a group of individuals with OCD in 1986, the mission
of the OCF is to educate the public and professional communities about OCD and related disorders; to provide assistance to
individuals with OCD and related disorders, their family and friends; and to support research into the causes and effective
treatments of OCD and related disorders.
There is no shame here. If you cause physical harm to your body in order to deal with overwhelming feelings, know
that you have nothing to be ashamed of. It's likely that you're keeping yourself alive and maintaining psychological integrity
with the only tool you have right now. It's a crude and ultimately self-destructive tool, but it works; you get relief from
the overwhelming pain/fear/anxiety in your life. The prospect of giving it up may be unthinkable, which makes sense; you may
not realize that self-harm isn't the only or even best coping method around.
This site has very good information on how to stop self injuring in an emergency. Some examples are drawing on
the skin in red ink and holding an ice cube in your fist.