Cutting and other forms of self-harm can also cause accidental injuries, such as when a person accidentally cuts too deeply. People who cut or hurt themselves in other ways may need treatment for their mental health issues rather than shunning or shame.
Also, finding a healthier release for their emotions can help them recover. Read on to learn why people cut themselves, including the psychology behind this and advice about how to stop.
Most people who cut report that they do so when their emotional distress feels unbearable. They do not cut themselves because they want to die or get attention. People who cut may report that they feel better immediately after cutting, though they may feel regret hours later or in the following days.
Cutting can feel like an addiction. A person may feel an overwhelming urge to harm themselves, particularly during times of emotional pain. For some individuals, they feel temporary relief when they cut themselves and may then resolve to never do it again. However, the longer they go without cutting, the more the tension mounts, and the greater their desire to self-harm becomes. People from all demographic groups engage in self-harm. However, research suggests it is more common among females and sexual minorities, such as gay, lesbian, or asexual individuals.
Mental health diagnoses are more common among these groups, in general, which may help to partially explain why they are more likely to cut or engage in other types of self-harm. A systematic review emphasizes that the behavior is more common among adolescents and young adults, often starting between the ages of 12 and 14 years old. People with mental health and intellectual disabilities may also be more vulnerable to self-harm. For example, children with autism may bang their heads in frustration or anger.
Depression and anxiety are also common among people who cut or self-harm. Some people who self-harm have personality disorders , such as borderline personality disorder. A analysis found some common elements among hospitalized teens who self-harm:. This data suggest that trouble regulating emotions and controlling impulses may increase the risk of self-harm in people who experience depression, especially if they feel disinterested in life.
Self-harming is highly treatable. Medications can help control the emotions that trigger the impulse to self-harm. While self-injury may bring a momentary sense of calm and a release of tension, it's usually followed by guilt and shame and the return of painful emotions. Although life-threatening injuries are usually not intended, with self-injury comes the possibility of more-serious and even fatal self-aggressive actions.
Self-injury usually occurs in private and is done in a controlled or ritualistic manner that often leaves a pattern on the skin. Examples of self-harm include:. Most frequently, the arms, legs and front of the torso are the targets of self-injury, but any area of the body may be used for self-injury. People who self-injure may use more than one method to harm themselves.
Becoming upset can trigger an urge to self-injure. Many people self-injure only a few times and then stop. But for others, self-injury can become a long-term, repetitive behavior. If you're injuring yourself, even in a minor way, or if you have thoughts of harming yourself, reach out for help. Any form of self-injury is a sign of bigger issues that need to be addressed. Talk to someone you trust — such as a friend, loved one, doctor, spiritual leader, or a school counselor, nurse or teacher — who can help you take the first steps to successful treatment.
While you may feel ashamed and embarrassed about your behavior, you can find supportive, caring and nonjudgmental help. If you have a friend or loved one who is self-injuring, you may be shocked and scared. Take all talk of self-injury seriously. Although you might feel that you'd be betraying a confidence, self-injury is too big a problem to ignore or to deal with alone.
Here are some ways to help. If you've injured yourself severely or believe your injury may be life-threatening, or if you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call or your local emergency number immediately. There's no one single or simple cause that leads someone to self-injure. In general, self-injury may result from:. Most people who self-injure are teenagers and young adults, although those in other age groups also self-injure. Self-injury often starts in the preteen or early teen years, when emotions are more volatile and teens face increasing peer pressure, loneliness, and conflicts with parents or other authority figures.
Covering up. A person who self-injures may insist on wearing long sleeves or long pants, even in hot weather. Needing to be alone for long periods of time, especially in the bedroom or bathroom.
Isolation and irritability. This can cause them to withdraw and isolate themselves. Fact: The painful truth is that people who self-harm generally hurt themselves in secret. In fact, shame and fear can make it very difficult to come forward and ask for help. Fact: It is true that many people who self-harm suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or a previous trauma—just like millions of others in the general population.
Self-injury is how they cope. Fact: When people self-harm, they are usually not trying to kill themselves—they are trying to cope with their problems and pain. In fact, self-injury may be a way of helping themselves go on living.
Whatever the case, you may be feeling unsure of yourself. What should you say? How can you help? Deal with your own feelings. You may feel shocked, confused, or even disgusted by self-harming behaviors—and guilty about admitting these feelings.
Acknowledging your feelings is an important first step toward helping your loved one. Learn about the problem. The best way to overcome any discomfort or distaste you feel about self-harm is by learning about it. Understanding why your loved one is self-injuring can help you see the world through their eyes.
Remember, the self-harming person already feels distressed, ashamed and alone. Offer support, not ultimatums. Encourage communication.
If the self-harmer is a family member, prepare yourself to address difficulties in the family. This is not about blame, but rather about communicating and dealing with problems in better ways that can benefit the whole family.
Authors: Melinda Smith, M. Whitlock, J. Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescents. PLOS Medicine, 7 5 , e Journal of Adolescent Health, 52 4 , — Morgan, C.
Incidence, clinical management, and mortality risk following self harm among children and adolescents: Cohort study in primary care. BMJ, , j Aylett, E. Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice — a systematic review and meta-analysis. Conditions for Further Study. American Psychiatric Association. Self-Harm — Includes treatment and things you can do to help yourself.
Royal College of Psychiatrists. How Can I Stop Cutting? In the U.
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