What is self-harm? And why do people do it?

Self-harm is the act of inflicting physical pain on oneself. It includes scratching, cutting, burning, hitting/punching, biting, headbanging, and many more. Self-harm isn't necessarily a suicidal act, but it can become one. People do self-harm for many reasons; it could be due to people hating themselves or others, to call for help and attention, or perhaps even just to feel something in their lives.

Remember, all forms of self-harm is valid! Doing self-harm for attention is also valid, self-harming for attention is a call for help!

Why you should stop, and why you shouldn't get into self-harm

Self-harm isn't a good coping mechanism, you may think its good for now, but soon it'll bite you in the ass. Self-harm is the same as any other addiction, it breaks you and makes you dependent on it. It doesn't help you get anything done, it just distracts you from actually fixing your problems, in fact it gives you more problems in the long run. Self-harm makes you insecure about your body, heighten the difficulty in getting jobs in certain countries, and warps how society sees you as.

Self-harm can be expensive! The amount of money wasted on bandaids, gauze, blades, lighters, etc., is not worth it. The deeper you go with cutting and burning the more gnarly the healing process will be, some wounds will smell bad even if it isnt infected, weird colors and scab formations, redness, and so much more. Getting your clothes wet and stinky with weird body fluids due to wounds healing is NOT a fun experience.

Self-harm can also fuck up your movement! Irreversible nerve damage, limb paralysis, lose of sensation, stabbing pains, and deep shitty scars that can make movements harder and restrictive in the long run. And everytime you move your arms, your scars are going pull at your healthy skin and restrict your movement. And sometimes scars can have weird painful itchy moments when exposed to extreme temperatures.

And furthermore, doing self-harm can kill you if you aren't careful. And self-harm makes you extremely vulnerable to infections aswell, which can be lethal if not treated and could cause you your limbs or your life. You might even hit or damage some extremely vital areas that this website may not be even be able help you with. P.S. Self-harming, especially cutting, may make you smell like iron which is akin to fish.

What is the importance of harm reduction and self-harm aftercare?

Harm reduction is extremely important, it lessens the risk of you dying, getting infections, getting your limbs amputated, and death. Alot of people have accidentally died from simply cutting themselves without care before, and sometimes people have even used the wrong materials to take care of their wounds without knowing.