Self-Harm

Those who self-harm, whether its by cutting themselves and punching themselves, are often in a state of high emotion, distress and unbearable inner turmoil, therefore they hurt themselves as a method of 'leaking' out these negative emotions by associating it with blood.

So who self-harms? Around 1 in 10 youths will self-harm at some point, though it can occur in any age groups, and it is more common for young women to self-harm than men. It is also found that people who self-harm are more likely to have experiances physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood. Whatever the context or reason, self-harming seems to function as a coping mechanism, to help people feel calm, 'in control' or a way to deal with guilt.

Self-harming is no way to deal with problems in life. It is self-destructive, no different to binge drinking. and it won't just affect the person who is hurting themselves, but it will affect the people around them, such as their family and friends. How would they feel if people who they cared about were cutting themselves as well? I would think they would feel pretty sad and angry, and would tell them to stop. There are many organisations out there who strive to help people who self-harm and people who do should accept their help.

More information on self-harming can be found on the links provided below:

http://www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/mentalhealth/selfharm/whydopeopleselfharm

http://www.essortment.com/articles/self-injury_100006.htm

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/depression/self-harm.aspx