Self- Sabotage Student Vs.

Mental Health Patient

Maximo A. Guerrero

Department of Psychology, Creighton University

PSY 428 Cross- Cultural Issues in Psychology

Dr. Brown

May 10th, 2021

 Self-sabotage is a mechanism that humans have and it can cause much discomfort to our

lives apparently we are not taught it, yet we still do it, which can occur naturally. John said in

one of my interview “I think it is a mechanism that we randomly get and that is pain will help us

succeed, but in my heart I know it is false but my mind says it is true”. I feel that there is a strong

correlation between self-sabotage, students, and mental health patients. Self-harm or self-

sabotage (terms are used interchangeably), is when a person inflicts pain/ harm/ insults to

themselves to make them feel more stupid or belittle themselves in society. An example of self-

harm in a student is stressing over an assignment that is due in an hour, and has so much to do

and is cussing at himself in the library hurting himself, and while he is doing this he is making

simple mistakes that can be easily taken care of if they just relaxed, while in a mental health

patient could be a person with alcoholism and yet they know they have this problem and still

indulge in it because it brings them solace. Sansone states that these action causes more pain and

at the end of the day does not get the result people are expecting. The people that are affected by

self- sabotage at their early stages have a lot of support (this is an example like students and

friends) but there comes a time when that support decimates when they can’t keep up with

treatment.

Treatment options for self- sabotage are different for both populations. Mental health

patients have to go through therapy and try not to make their situation worse than it already is.

There is hardly any way of curing this infliction on oneself it all comes down to the will of the

person. Many treatments for mental health patients aren’t successful because the patient don’t

want to follow it is an aspect that Ferrari observed in his research. Patients believe that they have

to fix themselves on their own because they know what the problem is, but one thing that they

never understand that it doesn’t have to be on their own. Students on the other hand, have an
amazing support system from parents and friends. They talk to each other, communicating, is

key when trying to reduce self-sabotage behavior in any person, but that can be harder for some

than others. This is an aspect I noticed in my fieldnotes.

My methods were simple and concise. I made sure I was out of the way, didn’t interact

with anyone when I was conducting my field notes at either locations (Creighton and Metal

Health Respite). My goal in doing so is to pay close attention to behavior, action, and speech find

a pattern of discernment from the self-sabotaging behavior or if someone needs to come to the

aid of the person that is causing themselves so much pain. Sansone has seen this type of behavior

in more than one of his experiments, and he relates that intervention is mostly needed with

desperate cases and yet they don’t want to accept the help from a professional because they can

care less. Students have a great support system because they know that it all comes down to

communication and engaging with others. When I was conducting my fieldnotes I was in the

common areas of the university such as Skutt student center, the library, the Hixon lead lounge.

At MHR (Mental Health respite) I was watching from a safe distance and made sure that

I had permission from my supervisors and the clients of what I was doing. I tried to listen to the

arguments that the clients would have with one another and complain about their lives which

personally I took it as self- sabotage because they admit they have something to fix and yet they

are in the same position they were the last time they tried to fix it. The field notes are purely

observational and I can give my opinion on how the situation should have been manage after the

fact and only on my field notes. The field notes are important because they help me analyze and

interpret the actions of students and the mental health patients. I often wondered why mental

health patients self-sabotage? I never understood until after I did 3 interviews.

 My interviews were recorded then transcribed and I took note of the reactions,

expressions, mannerism, and body language when I recorded them and noted those reactions on a

document. This was done because it showed the relationship between the interviewer and the

interviewee. The interviewer was able to read the expression and take note on the mannerisms, to

see if the interviewee understood what was being asked of them. In order to understand self-

sabotage I had to go deep into the past of certain people and ask them why? Many people

responded because of not wanting to go home Sansone sees this and takes note of it because

there are times patients refuse to receive medical treatment at hospitals and usually these are

mental health patients that want to stay someplace safe because of abusive families/ relationships

from wherever they come from.

A remarkable discovery that I have noticed is that the research that I have looked at

correlates with my ethnography which means I’m doing something right. The data that I have

collected from my study states that it is harder for people to get help by themselves because they

are self-conscious about their situation and are embarrassed to seek help and admit that they have

a problem Maurice states that his “mental health is driven by the disappointment I have become

to my mom even though she is already dead. My family constantly reminds me that I am the

disappointment and that I don’t deserve the money she left me” is a sign that he know he has a

problem but other around him want to see him suffer. Ben was going through the same thing but

he knows what to do and he makes himself suffer by waiting to the last minute to get things

done. I personally don’t agree with this and it is a form of self-sabotage that can in the long run

have a bad effect on his studies.

Self- sabotage is something that humans inherently due not because they want to hurt

themselves they are driven by society/ environment. In college there are many students that work
to the last minute to get projects done and they pass the advice of not doing that and yet we do it

anyway. Same with mental health patients, they follow what the media portrays of them, and

frankly thanks to the media we have many problems with people with mental health. People

believe that they are supposed to blend in when in reality they are supposed to be the best selves

they can be.

This ethnography was a little difficult because I had to remain hidden and observe and try

to make out what is being said, but body language was key here and was able to help me with my

fieldnotes. Interviews on the other hand, were more direct and getting into the source of the

problem. With interview it was easier to comprehend and easier to decipher what they really

mean without them actually saying anything. I am a firm believer that confronting the problem

that is self-sabotage is a big step and can help you and the ones that care about you, it all comes

down to the confidence a person has to get pass it. In the future I would also like to do field notes

on the people that would soothe the self-sabotaging people and see how they react or behave

when they are not helping others. Do they follow their own advice or create the same mess? I

would also like to see if these people are as composed as they seem or if it is a façade. This study

really goes in deep with personal business and can cause some trouble with the interviewer and

the interviewee.
 References

Ferrari, J., & Díaz-Morales, J. (2007). Perceptions of Self-concept and Self-presentation by

Procrastinators: Further Evidence. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 91-96.
doi:10.1017/S113874160000634X

Sansone, R. A. , Sansone, L. A. & Selby, E. A. (2012). Medically Self-Sabotaging Behavior and

its Relationship with Borderline Personality. Primary Care Reports, 18(4), 37–46.

Sansone, R. A., Wiederman, M. W., & McLean, J. S. (2008). The Relationship between
Childhood Trauma and Medically Self-Sabotaging Behaviors among Psychiatric Inpatients. The
International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 38(4), 469–479.
https://doi.org/10.2190/PM.38.4.f

Sansone, R.A., Wiederman, M.W. and Sansone, L.A. (1998), The self‐harm inventory (SHI):
Development of a scale for identifying self‐destructive behaviors and borderline personality
disorder. J. Clin. Psychol., 54: 973-983. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-
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