Self harm

Self harm 

People define self-harm in lots of different ways. Usually self-harm is defined as someone deliberately hurting themselves without wanting to die. It is sometimes called deliberate self-injury or non-suicidal self-injury. Engaging in self-harm may not mean that someone wants to die. It is a behaviour that is used to cope with difficult or painful feelings.

Examples of self-harm may include:

• Cutting the skin with sharp objects
• Taking an overdose of medication or drinking poison
• Burning the skin
• Hitting the body with fists or another object
• Punching walls or other objects
• Scratching or picking the skin, resulting in bleeding or welts
• Pulling out hairs