Causes of self harm

The causes of self harm are the things that set it off in the first place - not neccesarily what makes the individual continue to self harm.

The causes of self harm may be:

• bullying
• abuse (sexual, emotional or physical)
• neglect
• school/work pressures
• family financial difficulties
• housing problems
• relationship troubles
• family problems
• bereavement
• lonliness/isolation
• eating disorders
• drug/alcohol problems
• coming to terms with sexuality

...or any experience or event that causes negative feelings, thoughts and tensions.

Sometimes individuals go for months without harming themselves and others self harm daily.

For some individuals, an episode of self harm may be triggered by a significant life event, but for others the day to day fluctuation in their thoughts and feelings is too much to bare. Simple stresses such as breaking a glass, or running late for an appointment might be enough to create a tension so overwhelming in the individual that they self harm to cope with this. For some, self harm can become a habit; something they routinely do to survive on a day to day basis because they don't know what else to do.

Sometimes, even 'positive' experiences can create overwhelming feelings in the individual that they do not know how to manage.

For all individuals the starting point for recovery is to become aware of their reasons for, and drives to, self harm; it is armed with this knowledge that they can learn to respond differently to their difficulties. Recovery is always possible, however lost and overwhelmed the person feels.