Ross and McKay (1979) categorized self-mutilators into 9 groups: cutting, biting, abrading, severing, inserting, burning, ingesting or inhaling, hitting, and constricting.After the 1970s the focus of self-harm shifted from Freudian psycho-sexual drives of the patients.Walsh and Rosen (1988) created four categories numbered by Roman numerals I–IV, defining Self-mutilation as rows II, III and IV. Favazza and Rosenthal (1993) reviewed hundreds of studies and divided self-mutilation into two categories: culturally sanctioned self-mutilation and deviant self-mutilation. Favazza also created two subcategories of sanctioned self-mutilations; rituals and practices. The rituals are mutilations repeated generationally and "reflect the traditions, symbolism, and beliefs of a society" (p. 226). Practices are historically transient and cosmetic such as piercing of earlobes, nose, eyebrows as well as male circumcision (for non-Jews) while Deviant self-mutilation is equivalent to self-harm. Awareness and opposition
There are many movements among the general self-harm community to make self-harm itself and treatment better known to mental health professionals, as well as the general public. For example, March 1 is designated as Self-injury Awareness Day (SIAD) around the world. On this day, some people choose to be more open about their own self-harm, and awareness organizations make special efforts to raise awareness about self-harm. Other animals
Self-harm in non-human mammals is a well-established but not widely known phenomenon. Its study under zoo or laboratory conditions could lead to a better understanding of self-harm in human patients.Zoo or laboratory rearing and isolation are important factors leading to increased susceptibility to self-harm in higher mammals, e.g., macaque monkeys.
About 33% of patients with cirrhosis have spider angiomas.Hepatitis C is an infection that can lead to irreversible liver damage. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads through contaminated blood, and people are often infected by sharing drug paraphernalia or unsanitized tattoo guns and needles, piercing equipment, or manicure tools. To make matters worse, symptoms of the HCV virus can take years to appear, and this is likely why most of those infected with hepatitis C do not even realize that they are infected, and can continue to spread the virus unknowingly.Unfortunately, many symptoms do not start to appear until some damage to the liver has been done. Unlike in the past when hepatitis C was not curable and continued to worsen as years passed, today most positive hepatitis C (HCV virus) cases (95-98%) are now curable by taking a fairly newer treatment in the form of a prescribed daily oral medication for the full duration of 12 weeks. This treatment is usually well tolerated, with little to no side effects whatsoever. Spider angiomas (spider-like blood vessels on the skin) are one of the main symptoms caused by a hepatitis C (HCV virus) infection. Discovering an infected patient with hepatitis C early on in the infection phase increases the chances of the virus being successfully treated and cured by oral medication. Some patients can be infected with hepatitis C for decades without knowing, and without experiencing any signs or symptoms of the virus.