Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the autobiographical self of emerging adult women with non-suicidal self-injury(NSSI). The subjects of the study were 10 women aged 19 to 23 with experiences of NSSI within the last month. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the qualitative data. As a result of analyzing the interview data by the method of phenomenological qualitative research, their past self experiences included ‘the abandoned and shriveled self’, ‘the rejected and stand-alone self’, and ‘the sick and weak self’. Their present self experiences included ‘the empty self’, ‘the shameful and unacceptable self’, ‘the hidden self’, and ‘the self manifesting via the bodily pain’. Future self included ‘the clear self which wants to grow up and help somebody’, ‘the hazy and blurred self’, and ‘the self which wants to stay in pain’. The meanings of NSSI in the context of the self included ‘NSSI as the physical confirmation of the suffered self’, ‘NSSI as the relief of the pain of the mind and body by confirming the self’, and ‘NSSI as the damage to the self’. The study explored the autobiographical self of the emerging adult women with NSSI through their language and discovered the NSSI as physical confirmation of the suffered self.