Why People Say They Self-Harm

This behaviour may be puzzling to those who do not do it. Why would anyone choose to inflict physical damage on him or herself? There is evidence that self-injurers, when faced with strong emotions or overwhelming situations chose to harm themselves because it brings them rapid release from tension and anxiety. These situations cause an increase in physiological arousal, and release, but even if s/he feels guilty or angry afterwards, it won’t be the demanding, pushing tension-filled feeling like it was before.

What People Who Self-Harm Say It Does For Them

• Escape from emptiness, depression and feelings of reality.
• In order to ease tension.
• Relief. When intense feelings build, self-injurers are overwhelmed and are unable to cope. By causing pain, they reduce the level of emotional and physiological arousal to a bearable one.
• Expression of emotional pain.
• Escaping numbness; many of those who self-injure say they do it to feel something, to know they are still alive.
• Continuing abusive patterns; self-injurers may have been abused as a child. Sometimes self-mutilation is a way of punishing oneself for being bad.
• Relief of anger; many self-harmers have enormous amounts of rage inside. Afraid to express it outwardly, they injure themselves as a way of venting feelings.
• Exerting a sense of control over their body.

When these feelings become unbearable, self-harm can be a way of dealing with them.