Beyond visible pain: psychoanalytic reflections on self-injury in adolescence

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand self-injury in adolescence and investigate its relationship with family functioning in a Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Care Center through a case study. Self-injury is characterized as an intentional behavior of hurting one's own body, without the intention of dying, and can show helplessness and an invitation to the gaze of others in the face of their pain. The research adopted a clinical-qualitative approach, analyzing and discussing the content in the light of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis. The results revealed that the teenager inscribes non-verbalized suffering on her body, related to the cultural crisis and the fragility of the symbolic support necessary for psychic development. In the family, there were failures in the continental functions of the family Self-skin, such as the difficulty in perceiving the cuts and understanding the daughter's complaints. We conclude that self-injury can serve as a defense against psychic suffering, communicating environmental failures. The importance of the family in psychic development during adolescence is highlighted, providing emotional support in the face of the transformations and mourning required throughout life.