Why do ppl self harm?

Self harm is a coping mechanism, it is a way of coping with overwhelming emotional distress. Everyone has problems in their life and often people want help. But sometimes its hard to cope or even put these feelings into words. Someone might want help but doesn't know how to ask for it. These feelings get bottled up inside and the pressure goes up until you feel like you are going to explode. This is the point when people start to harm themselves. Generally, people do the first cut/scratch/burn as an impulse and don't plan on doing it again, but many people find that when they do it once, they do it more and more. By deliberately hurting their bodies, people often say they can change their state of mind so that they can cope better with ‘other’ pain they are feeling. Self harm is also not for attention. Most people will do anything to stop people from finding out, and if they don't, it is a cry for help.

People self harm for different reasons. Some people harm to feel relief from their problems, when someone self harms, it relaxes and calms you - you feel ok for a while. Some people use it to distract themselves from their problems, The physical pain helps distract them from the emotional pain - the physical pain seems to wipe out the mental pain for a while. Some people feel dead inside and like seeing the blood. It shows them they are still alive. Some people feel guilty and bad about themselves they feel they need to be punished. Others are conscious of a sense of release. For some, especially those who feel emotionally scarred, it may be a way to ‘wake up’ in situations where they are so numb they can’t feel anything. Overall, self-harm is a way of dealing with intense emotional pain.

Self harm is also very addictive. People often harm for the first time as a one off, but find out that when you do it once you do it more and more. There is a reason is so addictive. When you self harm, the brain releases a hormone called endorphin's. Endorphin's are the body's natural stress relievers. Endorphin's are produced as a response to certain stimuli, especially stress, fear or pain. They originate in various parts of your body and interact with receptors in cells found in regions of the brain responsible for blocking pain and controlling emotion. Endorphin's block pain, but they're also responsible for our feelings of pleasure. When endorphin's are released, they create a feeling of happiness and calm. They are pleasurable and can make you less sensitive to pain.

However when the feeling has passed, the negative thoughts come back. When this happens, the brain craves the endorphin's again, so people harm again to create the same feeling. This is how self harm becomes an addiction.

Self-hate

Serotonin (happiness neurotransmitter) deficiency in association with self harming behaviours.

Low Serotonin Level Makes Adolescents Engage in Self-harming Behaviours:

http://www.medindia.net/news/low-serotonin-level-m...

Serotonin deficiency - causes/symptoms/treatments:

http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/serotonin.htm...

http://www.nutritional-healing.com.au/content/arti...

To distract themselves from their psychological pain with physical pain

They vent their unhappiness on themselves .

bad, ill, mad, sad-ist-ic pseudoscience.

result/effect Masochism.