{"id":15337,"date":"2021-05-06T16:07:24","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/?post_type=article&p=15337"},"modified":"2025-11-21T12:54:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T17:54:35","slug":"am-i-harming-myself-types-of-self-harm","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/es\/content\/am-i-harming-myself-types-of-self-harm\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfMe estoy haciendo da\u00f1o? Tipos de autolesiones"},"content":{"rendered":"

Self-harm<\/strong> refers to anything that someone does to intentionally hurt themselves\u2014or something that they know is harmful but do anyway.<\/p>\n

People self-harm for many reasons<\/a>: to punish themselves for something they\u2019re ashamed of, to gain a sense of control<\/a>, or just to feel something<\/em>. Often, the goal is to distract from or release underlying emotional pain. Self-harm can be considered a negative coping strategy<\/strong>: something that may make you feel better in the moment, but is harmful overall.<\/p>\n

Many conversations about self-harm focus on cutting. While skin-cutting is a common form of self-harm, it\u2019s not the only one\u2014and all types of self-harm are important to address.<\/p>\n

Physical self-harm<\/h2>\n

Physical self-harm is what most people think of when talking about self-harm. It\u2019s sometimes called self-injury<\/strong> or self-mutilation<\/strong> and includes behaviors like cutting, burning, and skin picking. These behaviors often result in physical pain, and some people are looking for that sensation\u2014they may feel numb or want to punish themselves. Others are seeking a \u201crelease\u201d or a sense of control.<\/p>\n

Physical self-harm is not the same thing as wanting to die<\/a>. In fact, some people self-injure to distract themselves from suicidal thoughts. However, people who physically harm themselves are at a higher risk for attempting suicide [1]. And some forms of self-injury can be dangerous or even lethal.<\/p>\n

Alcohol & drug misuse<\/h2>\n

If the negative effects of your substance use are severe or outweigh any potential benefits and you keep using anyway, this could be a form of self-harm. Frequent or heavy substance use is often a sign of trying to numb painful or difficult feelings. Like self-injury, it can temporarily relieve emotional distress\u2014but it usually ends up making things worse in the long term.<\/p>\n

Alcohol and drug use can quickly become addictive<\/a> and turn into a mental health concern in itself.<\/p>\n

Disordered eating<\/h2>\n

Like addiction, eating disorders<\/a> are mental health conditions involving behaviors that are harmful to oneself.<\/p>\n

Any disordered eating patterns can be a form of self-harm, even if you don\u2019t have a diagnosable eating disorder. This can include skipping meals, binge eating, or obsessively tracking your food intake.<\/p>\n

People turn to these behaviors for various reasons: as a form of self-punishment, to feel a sense of control, or to avoid painful emotions. Disordered eating is often related to a negative body image\u2014you may have internalized negative messages about your body<\/a> from society or other people in your life.<\/p>\n

Self-destructive behavior<\/h2>\n

In reality, any unhealthy or destructive behavior can be a form of self-sabotage<\/strong>. Patterns like this can be especially hard to identify because you may not even realize you\u2019re doing it. It includes things like procrastinating, pushing away loved ones, or changing yourself to please others. Many of these behaviors are done out of fear, self-punishment, or to gain control over a situation.<\/p>\n

Self-neglect<\/h2>\n

Everyone has basic human needs. No one can be perfect, but continuously ignoring your personal needs is harmful. Things like poor diet, an overly messy or unsanitary living space, and poor hygiene are all signs of self-neglect. Self-neglect isn\u2019t usually intentional; it’s often the result of low energy, low motivation<\/a>, or apathy.<\/p>\n

Recovering from self-harm<\/h2>\n

Self-harm is a habit that can be hard to stop. It can even become an addiction.<\/a> Even though these behaviors harm you, they are still ways of coping. As you reduce your self-harm behaviors, you\u2019ll need to replace them with other, more positive coping skills<\/strong><\/a>. Seek out support from people who care about you<\/a>, and remember that lasting change takes time.<\/p>\n

Self-harm of any kind is often a sign of an underlying mental health condition<\/a>. People struggling with their mental health often experience very intense negative emotions, and it can be hard to find healthy ways to cope.<\/p>\n

Any mental health condition can involve self-harm, but some conditions are especially linked with self-harm. These include borderline personality disorder (BPD), eating disorders, depression, and addiction [2]. If you think you may be experiencing one of these, take one of our free and confidential online mental health tests<\/a>. Then continue reading to learn more about how to improve your mental health.<\/p>\n

Show References<\/a><\/p>\n

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  1. Klonsky et al. (2013). The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury and attempted suicide: converging evidence from four samples. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 122<\/em>(1), pp. 231-237. Retrieved from https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/a0030278<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Kerr et al. (2010). Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Review of Current Research for Family Medicine and Primary Care Physicians. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 23<\/em>(2) pp. 240-259. Retrieved from https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3122\/jabfm.2010.02.090110<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Self-harm refers to anything that someone does to intentionally hurt themselves\u2014or something that they know is harmful but do anyway. People self-harm for many reasons: to punish themselves for something they\u2019re ashamed of, to gain a sense of control, or just to feel something. Often, the goal is to distract from or release underlying emotional … <\/p>\n

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