Failure of the Capacity for Self-Soothing in Women Who Have a History of Abuse and Self-Harm

For many women, a history of childhood abuse leaves them vulnerable to intense, overwhelming, and painful emotions. The internal capacity to comfort themselves, or self-soothe, when confronted by these feelings is often lacking. Unfortunately, many women use self-harm behaviors as a form of external self-soothing behavior to provide temporary relief from the pain. This article links the developmental failure of the capacity to self-soothe and the neurobiologic disruptions that can lead from trauma to self-harm. The article considers how nurses can use this knowledge to understand the turbulent and apparently impulsive nature of self-harm behavior and begin to help women who self-harm develop the internal capacities to self-soothe.