Stop Engaging in Self-Injury: Yes, That Means You!

Hey everyone, I have a crucial message for you: stop engaging in self-injurious behavior. As an ABA clinician, I’m sure you’re all too familiar with self-injurious behavior. In most cases, we see this behavior in the kids we work with…But what if I told you that you might be engaging in it, too?

Understanding Self-Injurious Behavior

Self-injurious behavior—the kind we're most familiar with treating—can manifest in various ways, like head banging, self-hitting, or eye gouging. These behaviors usually have a function, such as gaining attention, escaping a task, or providing sensory stimulation.

Naturally we prioritize these behaviors. Why? Because they’re dangerous and the risk of harm that a kiddo experiences elevates with every instance of the behavior.

But, we—us—ourselves engage in self-injurious behavior. All of us, right down to the most professional of clinicians.

I’ve written on burnout among ABA professionals in our field before. I posited that burnout isn’t simply burnout. There’s usually more going on. As far as I can conclude, there are two categories of variables that influence clinician burnout.

The Burnout Trap

In our field, burnout is common for two reasons:

1. The Job Itself: The job might be overwhelming due to long hours, challenging caseloads, lack of resources, and lack of support.

2. Self-Injurious Behavior: This might surprise you, but adults engage in self-injurious behavior too, often in the form of bad personal and professional habits. These self-injurious habits consequently destabilize their lives—personal and professional.

Identifying Self-Injurious Behavior in Our Lives

Bad habits can harm us, even if they seem harmless. And we all have bad habits to an extent. Some of these behaviors are innocent indulgences like slamming through a bunch of Oreos while we binge on a few extra episodes of our favorite show on Netflix (guilty!). Other habits are significantly more costly. This might include staying up too late, drinking too much, or engaging in toxic relationships.

Examples of Self-Injurious Behavior

1. Poor Sleep Habits: Staying up too late, especially before work, can lead to exhaustion and burnout.

2. Substance Use: Overindulgence in alcohol or other substances can harm our health and impair our ability to function.

3. Toxic Relationships: Engaging with people who are harmful to us can cause emotional and mental harm.

4. Social Media Overuse: Scrolling through social media feeds and comparing ourselves to others can lead to depression and dissatisfaction.

5. Poor Diet and Lack of Exercise: Neglecting our physical health can harm our overall well-being.

The Solution: Self-Care and Honest Reflection

One of the things that they didn’t tell us in graduate programs was this: Self care and reflection are necessary components for succeeding as an ABA professional. And, as you dig deeper, you’ll find that some bad behaviors and habits in your personal life will destabilize your life across the board. The more unstable your personal life, the more likely it can bleed into your professional life.

And off the proverbial deep end you might go.

Harmful personal behaviors = Instability = Potential Burnout.

Think about that.

So the takeaway for today:

If you care about your clients, you should care about yourself, too. Treat yourself like someone you care about. Look honestly at where you might be engaging in self-injurious behavior. Is it your diet? Is it drinking? Is it toxic relationships or technology? Replace these harmful habits with healthier alternatives like exercise, a balanced diet, and positive relationships. And notice how much better you feel in the process!

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Martin Myers is a BCBA with a passion for helping improve the field of ABA. He is the creator of BxMastery, with over 4,000 goal ideas, sequenced, to inspire your programming. With 10+ years of experience in the field, he’s dedicated to empowering others and fostering positive change through effective leadership and communication. Connect with Martin on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more insights and updates.