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their injuries are a result of this.

For many individuals, self harming is often due to feelings of depression. An individual may lack self esteem or confidence and feel rejected by society. They are feeling intense emotional pain and feel that by hurting themselves, they are getting a sense of relief, either by bleeding out the emotional pain, or by punishing themselves for their perceived failures. This type of behaviour seems difficult to grasp by many, because generally if you are already in pain, the last thing most individuals would consider would be more pain, however for a self harming individual, this may actually relieve their pain temporarily.

The biggest concern with self harming behaviour is there is always a risk that they will go too far. They may begin cutting deeper or engaging in higher levels of risk taking behaviour in an attempt to gain the same thrill they once received. This can often be the same with individuals who enjoy body modification, who begin peircing themselves just to enjoy the sensation. What becomes dangerous is the person may go too far and end up seriously risking their lives. The other major concern is that individuals with a history of self injury often have a higher rate of completion of suicide than individuals who have never had any prior self harm attempts.

It is important that an individual engaging in self injury seeks professional help. Treatment can be slow, with frequent relapse, however the long term prognosis for that individual is greatly increased and it is likely they will find the true cause of their pain and find a safer alternative to dealing with it.

Learn more about this author, Holly Rogers.
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