Five hundred cigarettes

An adult male fantastic least gecko (Sphaerodactylus fantasticus) in Guadeloupe

On harm reduction and understanding NSSI! Many autistic folk have normalised harmful behaviours as coping mechanisms in our daily lives and this comic is meant to help people recognise their self injuring behaviours and (hopefully) begin to see pathways to reducing their frequency.

Comic transcript: “What have you done to yourself?!” “Oh… What have you done to yourself?” “Sounds like autistic self injury, no?“ “There’s a word for it?!?” It’s actually pretty common! In medical contexts it often goes by NSSI! Meaning Non Suicidal Self Injury! It’s a symptom also seen in various compulsive disorders! Some common behaviours are: Head smacking, Hair pulling or trichotillomania, Chest hitting, Mouth biting, Skin Picking or dermatillomania. It can often be a response to over-stimulation! Fancy you should say that! Because mine is prompted by the opposite! Many of us rely on these behaviours to function in our daily lives! And it does help in the moment! But it can also cause long lasting damage! Some find that covering or shaving hair helps! Shaving should be your choice exclusively! Do not feel pressured to do it! You can soften hitting by wearing a chest guard or gloves! An archers chest guard can be slipped under clothing! People also use stim toys! Some sensations we seek can be achieved with these! That being said, we need an understanding environment first! Injury is often a result of overwhelming stress! So if you injure often, you likely need a bigger change! You don’t need to overcome injury alone! You may want to seek professional help if: Injuries are motivated or followed by feelings of dread. Sores, yellowed skin, scaring or infections begin to form. You injure yourself seriously! Even if you’re not in pain! Extra therapeutic or physical support is wanted. If someone you love injuries themselves, avoid responding with anger! Remember that not everyone can fully recover: try to minimise overall harm and stay safe! /end transcript]