To most people, physically hurting yourself to feel better just doesn't make sense. Self injury is a coping mechanism that some people resort to as a measns of survival. It is very similar to many other more socially accepted coping mechanisms such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse or eating disorders. It is NOT a suicide attempt. Most who self injure are doing so to stay alive.

While a person's reason for self injuring can be as unique as the individual, there are some common contributing factors:

• A history of childhood physical or sexual abuse
  • 80% of those who self injure have experienced some form of childhood abuse
• Illness or surgeries at a young age
• Parental alcoholism or depression
• Inability to express and tolerate feelings
• Perfectionism
• Negative body image
• Possible biological sources associated with poor impulse control (an imbalance in Serotonin, which is connected to impulsivity)

Most self injurers say that they injure because it achieves one or more of the following:

• Escape
  • Self injuring can provide an emotional escape from reality.
• Ease tension
  • The chemical release that happens in the brain when one self injurers causes a euphoric feeling. The body's natural pain killers (endorphins) contribute to this.
• Relief/Expression of emotional pain
  • Self injuring can be a way to physically see emotional pain, which is otherwise unseen.
• Grounding
  • For those dealing with dissociation, self injury can make them actually feel something, as well as ground them in the present.
• Numbness
  • The chemicals that are released when one self injures can cause a feeling of being numb or dissociating. Often self injurers, myself included, don't even feel the pain they inflict on themselves.
• Euphoria
  • The body's natural pain killers (endorphins) can cause a 'natural high'. Like highs achieved by other chemicals, the effect does eventually wear off, and over time, it can take greater amounts of the chemicals to achieve the same high.
• Continuing abusive patterns
  • Harming oneself can be a way of acting out a previous abusive experience, or pattern of abuse.
• Punishment
  • Self injurers often have very low self esteem and feel that they, in some way, deserve the pain they inflict on themselves
• Control
  • As with many people, the life of a self injurer is often full of things that are not within their control. Harming themselves is one thing in their life that they have complete control over (how often to do it, how much pain to feel, etc.). It is also a way for someone who has been continuously hurt by others to finally have control over the hurt.
• Anger
  • Many who self injure don't know how to safely express anger. Frequently they end up turning the anger on themselves.
• Expressing or Repressing Sexuality
  • Dealing with feelings of confusion about sexuality can be extremely difficult. Self injury can help a person to cope with these feelings.

These are not the only reasons people self inure. Any reason that shares the same motivation and relief that is typical of self injury should be considered valid.