There are so many stereotypes about people that self-harm. We are labelled as crazy attention-seeking emo kids. But that’s not true. It’s time for people to get past the stereotypes and learn what self-harm really is.
The reason I made this website was because I know A LOT of people that struggle with self-harm, especially young women. I know first hand that it’s really common and nothing like how the media portrays it. Granted, it’s not a good thing to do to oneself, but the judgment and stigma about it prevents people from reaching out and getting help, and often causes them to self-harm even more.
Here are 5 things everyone should know about self-harm. Let’s remove our judments about it, considering it’s so common in our society.
Self-harm is NOT just wrist-cutting.
Self-harm is NOT automatically suicidal. (But should always be taken seriously.)
Self-harm is NOT done by "crazy" or "emo" people.
Self-harm is NOT attention seeking.
Self-harm is NOT something to be scared of.
Now let me explain what self-harm IS.
Self-harm is the act of intentionally hurting one's own body. It can be done by cutting, bruising, burning, and more. It is something people do to cope with their problems. It is not mentally or physically healthy for people to self-harm.
1. Self-harm IS more than wrist-cutting. Self-harm takes many forms, and includes anything a person does to intentionally injure themselves. This includes bruising, severe scratching, burning, punching, biting, hair pulling, and cutting anywhere on the body. In a broad sense, self-harm could also include any other coping mechanism that negatively affects the body. This definition could include other acts such as drug-abuse, alcoholism, and eating disorders.
2. Self-harm IS more than a suicidal behavior. It is true that self-harm is a warning sign for depression and suicide, and should always be taken seriously. Counseling is recommended regardless of the severity of the situation. It is wrong to assume that a person who self-harms is automatically suicidal though. It creates a false stereotype. Many people self-harm as a way to cope with their emotions, and they are not necessarily suicidal.
3. Self-harm IS an act that a lot of people do, regardless of whether they have any mental health issues or not. I do not have any mental health disorders. If you've seen my picture on the contact page you can safely say I don't go for the emo look either. And yet I have struggled with self-harm. And there's a lot of people out there that have similar experiences. Regardless of mental health issues and self-harm behaviors, nobody should ever be labelled with the word "crazy." It's judgmental and hurtful.
4. Self-harm IS the complete opposite of attention seeking. Most people feel shame and guilt after they harm themselves, and they tend to hide their self-injury from others. When people perform self-injury, the last thing they want is for other people to know about it. In some cases, self harmers intentionally do not hide their scars so that people can see them. In those cases, they are not crying for attention, they're crying for help. They want somebody to notice them and are desperate for it. Why judge a person who needs help?
5. Self-harm IS a coping mechanism. Everybody uses coping mechanisms nearly every day of their life. People cry, journal, exercise, play music, make art, and many other activities to relieve negative feelings. The only difference between self-harm and other activities is that self-harm is unhealthy and often makes problems worse. There is no reason to fear somebody who is just trying to deal with life. Understand that people who self-harm are simply regular people with a bad habit or two in their life. Surely, that's nothing to be scared of.
