Self harm is a deliberate act by an individual who intends to harm themselves in some way. There are many ways in which people self harm. Among the most commons ways are: Cutting, burning, causing physical harm by banging against something or hitting, scratching, poisoning (including alcohol and drugs). Taking drugs to self-harm is different to taking drugs for pleasure. A person who self harms takes drugs to deliberately cause harm to themselves.
Some people think of self-harm as a continuum, with suicide at one extreme and no self-harm at the other end, while in between is serious harm, moderate and minor harm. However, other people think of self-harm as quite different from suicide or attempted suicide.
This difference in approach seems to be because they think of the reasons for self-harm as different to the reasons for suicide, or perhaps that people who commit suicide have sought to end all feeling, while people who have self-harmed have just tried to make themselves feel better. Here, self-harm is considered distinct from suicide - we use the term self-harm to refer to deliberate harm, but where the aim is not death.
This fact sheet provides the following information:
- Who self harms
- Why do people self harm?
- Do I have a mental health problem?
- Do people repeatedly self harm?
- Self harm and suicide
- Help for self harm
- Telling someone about self harm
- Dealing with scars
- Further information.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that single copies of individual fact sheets are available free of charge to users of mental health services and their carers, but multiple copies are chargeable to organisations at the rates shown. Photocopying of individual fact sheets by organisations is strictly prohibited.
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