The Science

Self-Mutilation has many facets and not all of it can be explained by science.

A behavioral psychologist would explain the conduct as operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a psychological term  in which a subject receives attention for a behavior (negative or positive) so they continue to do that because they are getting attention. They are being conditioned. {awkward}. Another behaviorally explanation is that a person who comes from an abusive family may feel neglected by parents or guardians, in order to fill this need a person hurts him or herself and takes on the role of care-giver and the one recipient of the care.

A bio-psychologist does not necessarily disagree with this explanation, but offers another one as well. Self-injurers have been found to have lower levels of serotonin in their brain. "Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitterS(5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is athesised in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin)." It affects: learning, mood, appetite, and depression. The reason for the decrease in serotonin is unknown. For a more on serotonin click here. Serotonin is not the only chemical that plays a role in this problem. Endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, can become addictive. After one injures his or herself, the body immediately sends out endorphins to make one feel better. It becomes a natural high.