Take Time: Self-harm and how to get help

• To help them cope
• Some people self-harm because it feels good to them, to prove they can tolerate pain or to relieve negative feelings.
• To direct emotion inward
• Some people self-harm to punish or take out their anger on themselves.
• To communicate with others that they are in distress or need support.

How do people with this disorder harm themselves?
Self-harm can take many forms. Some are more common than others, but all come with risks. Some of the most common self-harm behaviours include:

• Cutting with sharp objects to break through or injure skin.
• Burning with something hot like cigarettes, matches or heated sharp objects, or with chemicals like household cleaning products.
• Hitting with solid objects — like punching a wall — which can lead to impact injuries.
• Scratching/rubbing that leads to skin damage.

What are the symptoms of no suicidal self-injury?
If you self-harm, you may try to hide it from those around you. You might wear long sleeves or pants to cover up, even if it’s hot outside. Or you might tell stories to explain your injuries as an accident. Even so, other people might notice the following symptoms of self-injury:

• · Scabs or scars in a particular shape or cluster.
• · Multiple burns in the same size or shape.
• · Frequent accidents that lead to new scratches, bite marks, bruising or swelling.
• · Issues with impulse control, like they just can’t stop scratching an area of skin.

How is it diagnosed?
Non-suicidal self-injury disorder can be difficult to diagnose. People who self-harm tend to hide their injuries and avoid talking about them. Healthcare providers don’t use a specific test to diagnose self-harm. Instead, they inspect injuries, looking for patterns and scars from previous self-harm. They ask questions about the medical and social history. They also talk with you about what’s going on in your life. They look for things that might add stress, like financial problems, a recent death in the family, trouble at school, bullying or a break-up.

How is self-harm treated?
If you see a healthcare provider about self-harm, they will first treat your injuries if needed. Longer term, they may recommend therapy and/or medications to help manage underlying mental health conditions and life stressors.

What are the possible risks of not treating self-harm?

Getting treatment for self-harm is important because it has several potential short- and long-term risks.

· Medical complications. Self-harm behaviours can lead to infections, nerve damage and permanent and/or severe scarring. Sometimes, it can lead to severe injuries or death.
· Social problems. Self-harm can intentionally or unintentionally affect your relationships with family, friends or other loved ones. It can also affect how you feel in social settings like work or school.
· Worsening mental health. Self-harm can lead to feelings of shame, guilt or regret. You might worry about people noticing your injuries and go to great lengths to cover or hide injuries or scars.
· More severe injuries. Self-harm behaviours can often escalate. You might start to self-harm more frequently or your self-harm may become more severe.
· Suicide risk. Non-suicidal self-injury disorder doesn’t involve suicidal intent. But the risk of attempting or dying by suicide is much higher for people who self-harm.

Preventing first-time self-harm isn’t always possible, but seeking help from a mental healthcare provider can reduce the chances that someone will continue to self-harm. Part of why self-harm can be a coping mechanism is because of how your body processes and reacts to pain.

When your body encounters something that can damage it, nerve endings in the affected areas send emergency signals to your brain. One of the things your brain does in response to those signals is to release beta-endorphins. These chemicals trigger a domino effect that makes you feel better for a short time.

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