March 10, 2022 | Everybody has problems and everybody deals with them in different ways. Some people talk things over with a friend or family member. And then some feel the urge to harm themselves to relieve their emotional pain. Self-harm refers to a person harming his or her own body on purpose. Overall, a person who self-harms does not mean to kill himself or herself. Self-harm tends to begin in teen or early adult years. Some people may engage in self-harm a few times and then stop. Others engage in it more often and have trouble stopping the behavior. Self-harm is related to trauma in that those who self-harm are likely to have been abused in childhood. Even though self-harm has been studied extensively for over a decade, findings are never entirely accurate because of the stigma and shame that still surrounds such behavior. It’s estimated that about 17 percent of people will engage in self-harm at some point in their lives.

March 10, 2022 | Self-harm refers to any means of hurting yourself on purpose. One common method is cutting yourself with a knife. But any time someone deliberately hurts them self is classified as self-harm. Some people feel an impulse to burn themselves, pull out hair or pick at wounds to prevent healing. Extreme injuries can result in broken bones. Hurting yourself, or thinking about hurting yourself, is a sign of emotional distress. These uncomfortable emotions may grow more intense if a person continues to use self-harm as a coping mechanism. Learning other ways to tolerate the mental pain will make you stronger in the long term. Drinking alcohol or doing drugs while hurting yourself increases the risk of a more severe injury than intended. And self-harm prevents you from doing other things you value. Skipping classes to change bandages or avoiding social occasions to prevent people from seeing your scars is a sign that your habit is affecting your work and relationships.

March 10, 2022 | People who engage in self-harm usually have more frequent and more negative feelings such as fear or worry, depression, and aggressive impulses. Those who self-harm often have low self-esteem, and they do not tend to express their feelings. People who are anxious or have an eating disorder are also more likely to turn to self-injuring behaviors. So are those in sexual minority groups who experience discrimination and bullying, such as those who identify as gay or lesbian. Those who self-harm very often have a history of childhood sexual abuse. For example, in one group of self-harmers, 93 percent said they had been sexually abused as a child. Some research studies have looked at whether certain aspects of childhood sexual abuse increase the risk that survivors will engage in self-harm as adults. The findings have shown that more severe or longer-lasting sexual abuse increases the risk of someone engaging in self-harm in their adult years.

March 10, 2022 | Self-harm is not a mental illness, but a behavior that indicates a lack of coping skills. Several illnesses are associated with it, including borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, anxiety or posttraumatic distress disorder. The urge to hurt yourself may start with overwhelming anger, frustration or pain. When a person is not sure how to deal with emotions, or learned as a child to hide emotions, self-harm may feel like a release. Sometimes, injuring yourself stimulates the body’s endorphins or pain-killing hormones, thus raising their mood. Or if a person doesn’t feel many emotions, they might cause them self-pain in order to feel something “real” to replace emotional numbness. Once a person injures them self, they may experience shame and guilt. If the shame leads to intense negative feelings, that person may hurt them self again. The behavior can thus become a dangerous cycle and a long-time habit. Some people even create rituals around it.

March 10, 2022 | Self-harm is a problem that many people are embarrassed or ashamed to discuss. Often, they try to hide their self-harm behaviors. They may hold back from getting mental health or even medical treatment. The first step in getting help is talking to a trusted friend or medical professional who is familiar with the subject, like a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist will ask that person questions about their health, life history and any injurious behaviors in the past and present. Doctors can’t use blood tests or physical exams to diagnose mental illness, so they rely on detailed information from the individual. The more information that person can give, the better the treatment plan will be. If you suspect someone is self-harming, gently encourage them to get treatment by stating that self-harm isn’t uncommon and therapy can help. If possible, offer to help find treatment. But don’t go on the offensive and try to make the person promise to stop, it takes more than willpower to quit.