What is self-harm?

Self-harm is when someone deliberately hurts or injures him or herself.

This can take a number of forms including:

• cutting
• taking overdoses of tablets or medicines
• punching oneself
• throwing their bodies against something
• pulling out hair or eyelashes
• scratching, picking or tearing at one's skin causing sores and scarring
• burning
• inhaling or sniffing harmful substances

Some young people self-harm on a regular basis while others do it just once or a few times. For some people it is part of coping with a specific problem and they stop once the problem is resolved. Other people self-harm for years whenever certain kinds of pressures or feelings arise.

A few people who self-harm may go on to commit suicide - generally this is not what they intend to do. In fact, self-harm can be seen as the 'opposite' of suicide as it is often a way of coping with life rather than of giving up on it.

Self-harm is often also referred to by other names such as deliberate self-harm, attempted suicide, para-suicide, self-mutilation and self-injury. Talking or reading about self-harm can sometimes become confusing because researchers and health professionals often use these terms to mean different things. A research article or report will usually define exactly how it is using any specialised terms.