Self-Harm Treatment

Self-harm occurs when someone repeatedly hurts themself on purpose in a way that is impulsive and not intended to be lethal, according to Mental Health America. While self-harm is not a suicide attempt, those who harm themselves are at a higher risk of suicide if they don’t get treatment.

Reasons Someone Engages in Self-injury:

• Distract themselves from negative feelings
• Express emotions they might be embarrassed to show
• Develop a sense of control over their lives
• Process the way they are feeling
• Punish themselves for things they think they have done wrong

Definition – Also known as self-injury, self-mutilation, or self-abuse, self-harm includes

skin cutting, head banging, burning, scratching, punching, breaking bones, and more. Most individuals who engage in self-injury hurt themselves in more than one way.

Stats – Research indicates that self-injury occurs in approximately 5% of adults in the United States. Rates are higher among adolescents, with approximately 17% of teens reporting some form of self-injury, according to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

Diagnosis – Self-injury behaviors can be a symptom of other mental illnesses. The relief that self-injury brings is temporary, and a destructive cycle often develops without treatment. Self-injury can also be a way for people to have control over their bodies when they have little control over other parts of their lives.