Self-Harm

Self-harm does not discriminate against any gender, race educational background, age, sexual orientation, social economic status or religion. It affects a multitude of people around the world. Self-harm, or self- injury is the act of intentionally injuring one’s own body that typically leaves behind marks or can even do damage to body tissues. It is used as a coping mechanism most of the time. Self- injury can include cutting, burning (”branding”), picking at skin, picking at scabs, re-opening wounds, hair pulling (trichotillomania), head banging, hitting oneself (can involve the use of objects but not always), bone breaking, biting oneself, scratching or even refusal to take prescription medication. Self- harm is known as many different terms such as self- mutilation, self- inflicted violence, self- injury, self- destructive behavior, self- abuse, and parasuicidal behavior. People who self- harm usually feel that self- injury is a way of temporarily relieving intense feelings, pressure and/ or anxiety. They may use self- harm to help them feel “alive”, to mask their emotional pain with physical pain, to feel in control of the pain unlike the pain that they may have experienced through physical, sexual or emotional abuse (if they were a victim). They may also use self- harm to provide a way to stop emotional numbness, ask for help in an indirect way, use it as a form of manipulation into making others care or feel guilty or as an outgrowth of abuse believing that the abuse they encountered in their past was deserved. There are many long- term effects of self- injury that can affect the self- harmer emotionally, physically and psychologically. These effects are very serious and should not be taken lightly. There are not many statistics about self- injury because many who do or have participated in the act of self- injury do not or will not tell somebody what has happened in fear of what others will think, do, or say. Even with that, there still are some of the