Self-harming is often a way of coping with strong, painful emotions. It can also be a way to take your mind off serious events in your life. If you harm yourself, although it may feel like a relief in the moment, it can also make you feel even worse. In the long run, it can also be bad for various reasons. This makes it a good idea to talk to someone and to get help.
If you’re self-harming, you’re deliberately hurting yourself physically. You might scratch, cut, burn or hit yourself. You may also be exposing yourself to risks or overdosing on harmful substances, such as prescription medicines, alcohol or drugs.
This encompasses people of all ages and genders.
Going through challenging times in life or experiencing something difficult can trigger this behaviour.
Self-harming can be a way of coping with feelings such as anxiety, stress, grief, despair, self-hatred and emptiness. It can also be a way to calm or punish yourself, or to avoid thinking about painful memories and unpleasant experiences. For some, it’s a way to at least feel something. For others, it’s a way to show people around them how they actually feel inside. It’s common to have critical thoughts about yourself when self-harming.
Initially, you may feel that hurting yourself makes it easier to deal with difficult things in life. As though the pain on the outside stops you from feeling the pain on the inside quite as much. Afterwards, however, the troubling thoughts may worsen, you may feel ashamed and your self-critical thoughts may worsen. All of this can cause you to harm yourself even more, putting yourself at even greater risk.
No matter how long you’ve been self-harming, it’s important to take your problem seriously. Help is available and you can improve your wellbeing.
You can talk to someone close that you trust. If you’re at school, you could talk to the school nurse or school counsellor, for example. If you’re an adult, you can contact your healthcare centre or a psychiatric clinic for help.
If you’re feeling so low that you’re considering taking your own life, don’t delay, seek immediate medical attention at a psychiatric emergency clinic or call 112.
Reviewed by: Johan Bjureberg, registered psychologist, associate professor of clinical neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet.
Last edited 2024-04-08