How Tattoos, Piercings Can Serve as a Coping Mechanism From Trauma (2024)

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How Tattoos, Piercings Can Serve as a Coping Mechanism From Trauma? ›

Tattoos and piercings often serve as a “means of coping with previous adversity and be an expression of autonomy.” “[Getting a tattoo] is about transmutation — turning something so hateful into a symbol of my reclamation, healing, and solidarity with other survivors,” said Marlee Liss, a survivor of rape.

Many people partake in them to express their personality or aesthetic. Previous research on tattooed and pierced individuals has linked them to having lower self-esteem and a higher need for uniqueness. Trauma survivors may turn to body modification as a way to overcome past experiences.

Many people experience less dissatisfaction and anxiety about their appearance after receiving a tattoo. Their self-esteem and appreciation for the body also goes up. It's a similar feeling to getting your hair done, putting on jewelry and wearing makeup.

Trauma tattoos have become a beacon of strength finding its origin with the 'Survive' logo, which is a circle with a small branch inside. It was a popular symbol for trauma survivors in the 1960s.

Examples of maladaptive coping strategies include avoidance behaviors like drinking, emotional numbing, gambling, and social withdrawal. Emotional masking, negative judgments, overcompensation, and relying on the same approach over and over to similar situations are also forms of maladaptive coping.

Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing to reduce stress, ease anxiety and depression, and improve your sleep.

Tattoos and piercings often serve as a “means of coping with previous adversity and be an expression of autonomy.”

Stigmatophile: a person who loves tattoos; piercings.

How do tattoos affect you emotionally? ›

However, in addition to this appearance, tattoos can also cause psychological harm. Some people may regret or dislike their tattoos, which can cause problems with body image and self-confidence. Additionally, sometimes the stigma surrounding tattoos can lead to feelings of isolation or discrimination.

Semicolons. Many people choose to represent their mental health journeys with a semicolon tattoo; the semicolon serves as a symbol of mental health awareness as well as suicide prevention.

Per Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves.” Historically, scholars have often understood this as a warning against pagan practices of mourning.

The findings from this study suggest that tattoos can enhance state self-esteem, temporarily aid individuals in feeling better about themselves, help them overcome emotional trauma, and empower them to lead an optimistic life.

The tattoo serves as a permanent reminder of how significant the relationship was, and how much they were loved. Some people feel that the physical pain experienced in the process of having a memorial tattoo represents the emotional grief they are going through.

One common tattoo that symbolizes anxiety is the semicolon tattoo. Semicolon tattoos are thought to be a visual representation of hope and the continuation of life. For a tattoo that can symbolize freedom from anxiety, some people opt for a tattoo of birds breaking free from a cage.

EMDR therapy helps a person become “unstuck” so their brain can go through its' natural healing process. It is designed to help a person quickly resolve traumatic memories. Unlike other therapies, there is no focus on changing emotions, thoughts, or behaviors related to the trauma.

Weiten has identified four types of coping strategies: appraisal-focused (adaptive cognitive), problem-focused (adaptive behavioral), emotion-focused, and occupation-focused coping. Billings and Moos added avoidance coping as one of the emotion-focused coping.