Self-Injury

“You are self [injuring] if you are hurting yourself in some way. It is possible that you are harming yourself in a number of different ways and this is causing damage to your body, your mental health, and your life in general by the action that you take.” (SAFE in Canada, 1999, week 2, pg 5)

Self-injury is not a form of suicide. Individuals who harm themselves learn this form of coping to deal with uncontrollable feelings and thoughts. It is a coping mechanism learned to relieve deep and painful thoughts and feelings and may be a sign that someone needs care and support. (CMHA, 2017)