Investigation of self-mutilation behavior, traumatic and dissociative experiences in alcohol-substance addictives who treated in a psychiatric clinic

Alcohol and non-alcoholic substance abuse is a disorder that negatively affects a person's psychological and physiological healt. Childhood traumatic experiences consistute an important risk for many psychiatric illnesses including alcohol and non- alcoholic substance abuse disorders in subsequent years. Also self-mutilation behavior is the most obvious indicator of the existance of a mental disorder, which causes the person to be excluded from social life. This study shows, it was aimed to determine the negative and traumatic experiences in childhood in patient with alcohol – substance usage disorder, to determine the rates of self-mutilation behavior and to investigate the relationship of dissociative disorders. A total of 93 detoxified patients (with alcohol – substance usage disorder to DSM-5 criteria), whom were hospitalized in psychiatry policlinic in Bülent Ecevit University Hospital in Zonguldak. Semi-structured socio-demographic data questionnaire (SDQ), the Inventory of Statements about Self-injury (ISAS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) and Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q) were applied to patients. It was understood that only alcohol addicts showed more self-mutilation than alcohol and non-alcoholic substance addicts. Sexual abuse was found to be higher in alcohol addicts who practiced self-mutilation. In this way, it was understood that sexual abuse was the sub-dimension that increased the risk of self-mutilation the most among childhood traumas. Dissociation was found to be higher in alcohol and non-alcoholic substance abusers. It was found that the severity of dissociative symptoms was higher in those with both alcohol and substance use. It was found that there was a significant relationship between dissociative symptom severity and self-mutilation symptom severity. It was understood that those with high emotional neglect and emotional abuse scores also had high dissociative symptoms. As a result, high dissociation predicts self- harming behavior.