Psychology
Psychologist reveals self-harm produces cocaine-like endorphins that soothe trauma survivors
Pints with Aquinas
You'll Never See Trauma the Same
"Why would a person cut themselves? Why would a person put themselves in the middle of their own heartache, in danger, where their body could be hurt? Well, because our body produces something that's comparable to cocaine. Endorphins provide us with that level of self-soothing."
A psychologist explains that self-harming behaviors, from nail-biting to cutting, trigger the body's endorphin production at levels comparable to cocaine, offering biochemical relief from trauma-induced stress. This revelation reframes self-harm not as irrational behavior but as the body's desperate attempt to manage overwhelming stress biochemicals like cortisol and adrenaline through internally produced opioids.
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Pints with Aquinas