Causes of self-harm

The reasons why people self-harm are complex. Someone might not be able to always identify a clear reason why they harmed themselves or behave in a harmful way. People self-harm for reasons including:

To deal with strong emotions like anger or sadness.
To punish themselves for things they think they’ve done wrong.
Make themselves feel more ‘normal’.
To try and make other people aware they are struggling.
As a distraction from intense feelings.
To try and get relief from what they are experiencing emotionally.
To deal with painful memories, such as past trauma, abuse or bullying.

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