I cut therefore I am? Avoiding labels in the context of self-injury

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) represents a critical global health concern. While our understanding of NSSI has evolved dramatically over past two decades,1 the language used to refer to those who self-injure has not. Terms such as self-injurer and self-harmer continue to be used throughout the empirical literature2 and likely in clinical settings. From a humanistic standpoint, these referents may perpetuate unhelpful discourses and exacerbate the stigma that many individuals already experience by labelling and ostensibly equating them with the behaviour enacted. Indeed, guidelines have been offered to improve and offer a more socially judicious nomenclature when referring to those who experience mental health difficulties (eg, avoiding terms such as schizophrenic). However, the use of self-injurer or self-harmer fail cohere with such efforts. Clinically, these terms may be inadequate and impractical in the sense that they seemingly connote similarity across individuals who self-injure by grouping them together. This...

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