Self-harm is also known as self-injury or self-abuse. The behavior is defined as the deliberate, repetitive, impulsive, non-lethal harming of one's self. Self-harm includes anything you do to intentionally injure yourself. Some of the more common ways include:
- Cutting or severely scratching your skin
- Burning yourself
- Hitting yourself or banging your head
Reasons for Self-Harm
- Letting out feelings you can't put into words
- Releasing the pain you feel inside
- Helping you feel in control
- Distracting you from overwhelming emotions or difficult life circumstances
- Relieving guilt and punishing yourself
- Making you feel alive, or simply feel something, instead of feeling numb
The problem is that the relief that comes from self-harming doesn't last very long. It's like slapping on a band-aid when what you really need are stitches. It may temporarily stop the bleeding, but it doesn't fix the underlying issue. It also creates its own problems.
- The relief is short lived, and quickly followed by other feelings like shame and guilt. It keeps you from learning better ways of feeling better.
- Keeping the secret of self-harm from friends and family members may cause isolation.
- You can hurt yourself badly, even if you don't mean to. You may not realize how deeply you've cut.
- If you don't learn other ways to deal with emotional pain, it puts you at risk for bigger problems down the line, including major depression, drug and alcohol addiction and suicide.
- Self-harm can become addictive. It may start off as something you do to feel more in control, but soon it feels like the cutting or self-harming is controlling you. It often turns into a compulsive behavior that seems impossible to stop.
