What is self harm

There are no fixed rules about why people self-harm. For some people, it can be linked to specific experiences and be a way of dealing with something that is happening now or that happened in the past. 

Some people don’t understand the reasons for self-harming and that’s OK. You don’t need to know this in order to ask for help. 

Difficult experiences can cause someone to self-harm. Common causes include:  

• Bullying
• Sexual, physical or emotional abuse 
• Relationships 
• School and exams 
• Divorce 
• Bereavement 
• Illness 
• Domestic abuse 
• Confusion about feelings and sexuality.