Self-Harm- Why? How? What?

 



What is Self-Harm?

Self-harm is when you hurt yourself as a way of dealing with something that is troubling you.

One way is to hurt yourself physically. Some people cut themselves. Another way is to not take care of yourself like you should.

Some ways of self-harming can include:

• cutting yourself
• poisoning yourself
• over-eating or under-eating
• burning your skin
• inserting objects into your body
• hitting yourself or walls
• overdosing
• exercising excessively
• scratching and hair pulling

Self-harm can create very difficult feelings and could make you feel even worse. 

If you self-harm, you may feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. You also might be worried that other people will judge you or pressure you to stop if you tell them about it. 

Because of this, some people keep their self-harming a secret.

It is best not to keep it a secret though. It is best to tell someone and to seek help. 

People say that they self harm for different reasons. 

 Some people say it makes them feel a certain way when they do it and that is why they do it. 

 If you don’t understand the reasons for your self-harm, know that it is okay and that you do not need to know why.

It is also important for people to know that most people who demonstrate self-harm do not do it to get attention. More so, they do it because of how it makes them feel when they do it. 

Some of the reasons people hurt themselves are:

-To express something that is hard to put into words

-To make experiences, thoughts or feelings that feel 
invisible into something visible

-To change emotional pain into physical pain

-To try to minimize overwhelming emotional feelings or thoughts

-To gain a sense of trying to be in control

-To try and escape from traumatic memories

-To try and feel numb, disconnected or dissociated to something

-To create a reason to have to physically care for yourself

-To express suicidal feelings and thoughts without taking your own life  

- To let others know that you are hurting without having to talk to them

• Reference- mind.org 

There is help!!! 

Counseling can help. If you are harming yourself, please seek help for yourself.

                          By Diane Gammon M.S.  

                    Clinical Mental Health Counselor                Now open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays