Self harm is as common as eating disorders are, yet it still remains such a taboo subject for many to talk about, and people who self harm usually take great lengths to hide it. Many ( but by no means all ) have suffered childhood sexual abuse, physical, emotional abuse or a mixture of them.

People who self harm come from all walks of life, rich and poor and can be either female and male.

Self harm, its self, is not usually the cause of the problem, it is a coping method for the deeper rooted problem.

 

Am I Self Harming?

This may appear to be a strange question. But some people may not be sure that what they are doing actually is this. So, to clarify what is meant by self harm/injury I have broken it down to a few small paragraphs.

If you cause physical harm to yourself so that you are causing tissue damage. Things like bruising, breaking the skin or leaving marks that last for longer than a couple of hours. You don't cut to kill yourself.

If you cause this harm to yourself when you are trying to deal with unpleasant, difficult or overwhelming emotions, obsessive thoughts, or when you are dissociated.

If you often think about self harm/injury even when you're feeling calm and not upset/angry/emotional even though you may not be physically thinking about doing it right now.

The first two are indications of self harm/injury, and the last indicates that you may be compulsive.

Many psychiatrists and psychologists suggest that this way of dealing with pain and trauma is because that somewhere along the line, you didn't learn good ways of coping with overwhelming feelings. Some believe this is the way that those suffering on the inside, emotionally or mentally try to show their pain, or give a physical relief to their invisible pain.