Now, when I can easily talk about that time, I admit: I used to be engaged in self-destructive behavior. You could say that anyone is subject to self-destructive behaviours, but the thing is in borders. While we often think of these disorders as typical of adolescents and young adults, they actually cover all age and socio-economic groups.
We must define self-destructive behavior as any activity which poses a threat to mental or physical well-being that is self-imposed, that an individual has made a life-choice engaging in such behavior – it is not imposed by any external source. These behaviors may be relatively mild, such as avoiding certain responsibilities, to severe, including eating disorders, addictions, and self-mutilation. When severe self-destructive behaviors result in death, it is usually by accident, as the individual does not consciously choose death. Thus, someone with anorexia may die, but s/he has not chosen that result.
