Understanding Self-Injury FAQ's

1. What is self-injury? 

2. How common is self-injury?

3. Who self-injures?

4. What are some risk factors for starting to use self-injury as a coping strategy?

5. Why do people self-injure?

6. Why don’t people seek help?

FAQ: What is self-injury?

A: Self-injury covers a lot of different things. It includes all the different ways that you can physically hurt yourself. Self-injury falls on a continuum with some things being more socially acceptable than others. 

For example, smoking, drugs or excessive alcohol use are really forms of self injury in that they cause physical damage to your body, however, parts of society have decided that these things are more acceptable. 

Piercing and tattoos would be considered a bit more self-injurious but still acceptable to a large part of society. What is more traditionally referred to as self-injury can include cutting, burning, picking scabs, pulling hair, over dosing, banging your head, punching walls and even breaking bones. 

Eating disorders are also a form of self-injury. 

Most people who self-injure use multiple methods. They are usually very good at hiding the results or explaining them away. Self-injury is an addiction. Everyone does something that could be considered to be self-injury by this broad definition. It is just that society finds some methods more acceptable than other ones.

FAQ: How common is self-injury?

A: Self-injury is much more common than people realize, especially among teens. We are seeing an increase in people coming to the Teen Health Centre who self-injure and we know that there are many more people out there who are not seeking help or are seeking help elsewhere. We hope that by providing this information more people will seek help.

FAQ: Who self-injures?

A: Just about anyone, in any walk of life, can be a self-abuser. Self-abuse affects people from every socio-economic, ethnic and religious background and all ages from childhood throughout adulthood. 

It is a coping mechanism used more often by females in part because males tend to use more “acceptable” forms of self-injury like punching walls. Women are generally not socialized to express their violence externally and as a result when some women are faced with tension, they take it out on themselves. 

Because of the types of self-injury they choose (i.e. cutting, burning, etc.), women’s self-abuse tend to be less acceptable (although no less harmful). Also, women tend to seek treatment more than men in general.

FAQ: What are some risk factors for starting to use self-injury as a coping strategy?

A: Some risk factors include abuse (verbal, physical, sexual), loss of a parent, childhood illness and surgery, peer conflict, family violence, and feelings of lack of control. There are other things that can bring someone to self-injury and a person may have experienced several of the above risk factors and not self-injure. 

There is evidence that some people begin to self-injure because they “copy-cat” others. However, they may quickly find that it is difficult to stop once it is started. Again, it is a choice that each person makes for themselves. 

FAQ: Why do people self-injure?

A: This is a complicated question because there are a lot of differences between people, but in general self-injury is a coping strategy. It’s harmful, but it may be effective for some individuals, at least in the short term. 

Usually there is some intense emotion that the person feels they cannot handle like anger, frustration or severe depression. It may be a way to show people how much they hurt on the inside, a way to feel “real” and alive, or a way to feel in control. 

Self-injury may make the person feel better, but soon after they begin to feel guilty, or they regret it because they have to wear long sleeves in the summer, or know that they will have scars. Self-abuse is a behaviour that exchanges short-term relief in exchange for long-term harm.

FAQ: Why don’t people seek help?

A: Many people who self-injure don’t tell anyone. They feel ashamed or embarrassed or don’t think anything can be done to help them. Even worse, some people seek help only to find a doctor or a counsellor who does not understand. Help is available, so if you self-injure or know someone who does, seek out a counsellor or doctor who has dealt with people who self-injure.

For help with self-injury contact
the Teen Health Centre at (519)253-8481
and ask to speak to a counsellor.

For more information go to Self-Injury