distraction from traumatic memories. For some, self-injury gives a sense of control. Others are numb to emotion, and self-injury gives them a way to feel somethiSelf injury is intentionally causing self-inflicted physical pain in order to cope with overwhelming feelings, traumatic events, or severe emotional pain. The person is not “crazy,” but rather just never learned appropriate ways to express intense feelings. Some of the most common ways to self-injure include cutting, burning, hitting, scratching, and pulling hair. A person who self-injures usually does so in private. She does not typically flaunt or brag about injuries. Although some men self-injure, the behavior is more prevalent amongst women. The reasons vary. Some who self-mutilate say it helps to release pain, while others say it offers distraction from traumatic memories. For some, self-injury gives a sense of control. Others are numb to emotion, and self-injury gives them a way to feel somethinson is not “crazy,” but rather just never learned appropriate ways to express intense feelings. Some of the most common ways to self-injure include cutting, burning, hitting, scratching, and pulling hair. A person who self-injures usually does so in private. She does not typically flaunt or brag about injuries. Although some men self-injure, the behavior is more prevalent amongst women. The reasons vary. Some who self-mutilate say it helps to release pain, while others say it offers distraction from traumatic memories. For some, self-injury gives a sense of control. Others are numb to emotion, and self-injury gives them a way to feel somethig, hitting, scratching, and pulling hair. A person who self-injures usually does so in private. She does not typically flaunt or brag about injuries. Although some men self-injure, the behavior is more prevalent amongst women. The reasons vary. Some who self-mutilate say it helps to release pain, while others say it offers distraction from traumatic memories. For some, self-injury gives a sense of control. Others are numb to emotion, and self-injury gives them a way to feel somethime men self-injure, the behavior is more prevalent amongst women. The reasons vary. Some who self-mutilate say it helps to release pain, while others say it offers distraction from traumatic memories. For some, self-injury gives a sense of control. Others are numb to emotion, and self-injury gives them a way to feel somethi distraction from traumatic memories. For some, self-injury gives a sense of control. Others are numb to emotion, and self-injury gives them a way to feel something.

The biggest misconception is that self-injury is an attempt to commit suicide. The person in question may feel so bad that he has had suicidal thoughts, but generally the two are unrelated. In most cases, the act of self-injury is an attempt to cope with those intense feelings, not die.

Here are the warning signs of self-injury:

Compulsive need to injure oneself by cutting, burning, hitting, scratching, or pulling hair

Re-injuring old wounds so they don’t heal

Scarring, usually on arms, wrists, legs, abdomen, head, or chest

Attempts to hide arms or other body parts where injury occurred

Hoarding