What Guardiola’s mid-game self-harm could be hiding, according to experts

Pep Guardiola At a press conference, he assured that the wounds on his face were inflicted by him because he wanted it. “to suffer.” In situations of nervousness and stress, it is quite normal to have certain behaviors that would not occur in relaxing situations, but what about other relationships, such as minor injuries? Can this be considered self-harm? As stated by CuídatePlus Jose Martin Del Pliegopsychologist, “This attitude is called non-suicidal self-harm because the goal is not to die.” What happens in this situation is that “the pain pathways run parallel to the anxiety pathways, and something happens that activates both. If I experience a specific moment of anxiety, but there is a moment of pain, for example, with minor injuries, the path changes direction and goes from anxiety to pain.”

This, the expert assures, happens to all mammals, but it manifests itself in each one in one way or another. In the case of teenagers “Inflicting pain to obtain relief is a way of regulating the nervous system.”but in the case of adults, this attitude may be associated with something from the past.” In Guardiola’s case, “the pressure he’s been under since he was an elite athlete and the pressure he’s under now as a coach may be related to this type of non-suicidal self-harm.”

Pep Guardiola, coach (ShutterStock Photo)

Why do they arise?

The causes of non-suicidal self-harm are not always clear and, as the expert points out, each patient’s or individual’s situation and life must be carefully analyzed. But some of these reasons They may be:

• A way to reduce tension or negative feelings

• A way to solve interpersonal difficulties

• Self-punishment for mistakes

Regarding the profile of a person with this type of behavior, Del Pliego notes that “it can happen to all of us.” However, according to experts from Graduate Institute of Psychological ResearchYou may see a number of common characteristics in people who self-harm, such as:

• Deficits in emotional skills, meaning they have difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions, which can cause periods of dissociation, in which the experience of emotions is altered, and alexithymia.
• Self-critical are people who tend to be self-critical, with outbursts of anger or self-directed disgust, so that those who are present: self-punishment and self-directed anger, self-criticism and low self-esteem or high self-esteem. -criticism and high negative emotionality, often self-harm.
• Frequent and intense daily intensification of negative emotions, which is perhaps the main cause of self-harm, since self-harm can relieve, even temporarily, emotional distress.

In terms of personality profile, patients who engage in self-harm have personality traits such as:

• Perfectionism
• Impulsiveness
• Uncertainty
• Frequent conflicts with friends and family.
• Feeling rejected
• Risk appetite.

Possible solutions

According to Del Pliego, when faced with this type of relationship or situation, there are two types of treatment:

1. Live a calmer, more stress-free life by reducing your workload and stress levels.

2. Work with the emotional response that is so strongly activated in these types of situations.

In patients like Guardiola, Cognitive behavioral therapy won’t work because “the emotional response is very great and too strong, moreover, the person experiencing it is not able to cope with such situations.”