Self-harm is when a person causes physical harm to their body on purpose through various different methods. People, often self-harm to deal with overwhelming and difficult emotions as it helps to provide temporary relief. Self-harming itself is not a mental health condition, however, it is often linked to other conditions such as depression.

Anyone regardless of age or gender can self-harm and the reasons why a person might self-harm are unique to them. It can be difficult to stop self-harming as it can become a dependency. This can make supporting someone you know who is self-harming difficult.

There are lots of ways a person can self-harm. Sometimes, a person will continue to use the same methods, however, people can self-harm in many different ways at the same time.

It can be difficult to read about ways people self-harm, if you are feeling vulnerable at the moment then please read on with caution or avoid this next section altogether.

There is no one reason why a person might self-harm, each persons experiences are unique to them. Sometimes, self-harm can be linked to specific experiences, and hurting themselves is a personal way to cope with the event. For others, the reasons can be less clear and more confusing. This does not mean their experiences are any less. Even if you do not know the reasons why you are self-harming, you can still receive support.

Self-harm can be difficult to talk about as it is associated with attention-seeking. A lot of people believe that someone who self-harms is looking for attention and will treat them negatively. Most of the time, self-harm is a cry for help and a sign that a person needs support.

It is common for self-harm to not be taken seriously and for people to brush it off as impulsive behaviour not realising that it is a major sign of distress. A lack of knowledge surrounding self-harm also leads to self-harm being ignored. A lot of people might not notice the signs someone is self-harming. It is common for people to think self-harm is only when someone cuts themselves, however, as mentioned before, there are more ways a person can hurt themselves.

These views of self-harm can make it difficult for a person who is self-harming to reach out for support, often out of fear of being ignored.

Suicide and self-harm are usually associated with one another. This is because self-harm can be a major sign that someone is suicidal. However, it is important to remember that not everyone who self-harms is suicidal. Sometimes self-harm is a person's way of staying alive.