What is it?
The term self-harm is used to refer to situations where self-injury has no suicidal intent. It is not easy to tell the difference between self-harm and a suicide attempt. The only way to know is to ask the person directly, “Are you suicidal?”
Signs and Symptoms
- Cutting, scratching, or pinching skin enough to cause bleeding or a mark that remains on the skin
- Banging or punching objects to the point of bruising or bleeding
- Ripping and tearing skin
- Carving words or patterns into skin
- Interfering with the healing of wounds
- Burning skin with cigarettes, matches, or hot water
- Pulling out large amounts of hair
- Deliberately overdosing on medications when this is not meant as a suicide attempt
Reasons people engage in self-harm:
There are many reasons for people engaging in self-harm including:
- To escape unbearable anguish
- To change the behavior of others
- To escape from a situation
- To show desperation to others
- To get back at other people or make them feel guilty
- To relieve tension
- To seek help