People infuse pain to themselves to combat the difficult and complicated feelings they often encounter. Inflicting pain to oneself can relief them from their discomfort for a temporary period. As the compulsion is repetitive, the whole process can be physically and mentally addictive.

Ways of self-harm includes-

Cutting yourself

Poisoning yourself

Burning our skin

Inserting objects in to the body

Hitting yourself

Excessive workout

Scratching and hair pulling

Overdosing

Eating disorder

Self-harming can bring about an instant relief and help in coping with the difficult feeling for a while.

There is no specific reason to explain why people intend to cause self-harm. However, it can be linked to specific experiences that has happened in a person life or any current unpleasant situation.

Some of the difficult experiences which can be the reason behind self-harm are

Bullying

Financial trouble

Sexual, physical and mental abuse

Other health problems

Troubled relationship

Work pressure

Other mental illness

It’s not always easy to explain the reason behind self-harm. However, it’s not very important to understand the reason behind it, but it’s very important to understand when to seek help. Many people associated with this disorder often feel embarrassed to discuss their experience with others as they have the fear of being judged. Very often these people face discrimination in various field because of their addiction to harm themselves. Mostly people tend to keep their behavior a secret either, in fear of the social stigma associated with it or they are not aware of how to get help.

What to do if you have self-harm issue-

If anyone is experiencing self- harm or they have any of the above mentioned problem, they should consult their GP who can refer them to the mental health care professional. The mental health therapist can carry out assessment by discussing their thoughts and feelings and how these affects their well-being.  Post assessment, a proper treatment plan which generally includes medications and different coping mechanisms can be prepared to help them lead a normal and healthy life.