The Facts About Self-harm

Self harm is a response to emotional distress.  Some of the emotions which trigger
people to feel like self harming are: .

Anger

If your situation means that it doesn't feel safe for you to express your anger to other
people, taking it out on your own body in private might seem like a safer option.

Tension

If you feel stressed and cannot relax, self harm can lead to a feeling of release.

Guilt

If you blame yourself for something that has happened, self harm might feel like a way
of taking it out on yourself.

Self hatred

If your life has led you to dislike or hate your body or your personality, hurting yourself
might be a private way of expressing that.

Desperation

Self harm is sometimes the last resort when you feel hopeless, or you can't tell anyone
who understands. Hurting yourself can give you temporary relief from thinking about the
impossibility of your situation.

Fear or loneliness

If you feel too alone or frightened to tell anyone how you are feeling, making external marks
on your body, like cuts, burns or bruises, might feel like a safe way of expressing yourself to
other people in the hope that they will notice and offer support.

Panic, emptiness or feeling unreal

See the separate section on Feeling Unreal

Bereavement and loss

Bereavement and loss can lead to anger, sadness, guilt and sometimes an intense longing
to be with the person who has died. Self-harm can be a way of coping with these
powerful emotions.

If there is no one around to hurt but yourself, or if you feel like hurting someone else
and don't want to, then self-harm can sometimes seem like a better option.