Self-harm or self-injury is intentional behavior considered harmful to oneself. This is usually considered direct injury to one's own skin tissue, usually without suicidal intent. Other terms such as cutting and self-harm have been used for any self-harming behavior, regardless of suicidal intent. The most common form of self-harm is using a sharp object to cut into the skin. Other forms include scratching, hitting or burning body parts. While earlier use included disrupting wound healing, excessive skin picking, hair pulling and the ingestion of toxins, current use distinguishes this behavior from self-harm. Similarly, tissue damage from substance abuse or eating disorders is not considered self-harm because it is usually an unintended side effect.


Although self-harm is non-suicidal by definition, it can still be life-threatening. People who self-harm are more likely to commit suicide, and self-harm occurs in 40-60% of suicides. Yet only a minority of self-harms are suicidal.


The desire to self-harm is a common symptom of some personality disorders. People with other mental disorders can also self-harm, including those with depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, dissociative disorders and gender dysphoria. Studies also provide strong support for a self-punishment function and modest evidence for anti-dissociation, interpersonal affect, anti-suicide, sensation seeking and interpersonal boundary functions. Self-harm can also occur in high-functioning individuals who do not have an underlying mental health diagnosis. Motives for self-harm vary. Some use it as a coping mechanism to provide temporary relief from intense feelings such as anxiety, depression, stress, emotional numbness or a sense of failure. Self-harm is often associated with a history of trauma, including emotional and sexual abuse. There are a number of different methods that can be used to treat self-harm that focus on treating the underlying causes or treating the behavior itself. Other approaches include avoidance techniques, which aim to keep the individual engaged in other activities, or replacing self-harm with safer methods that do not result in lasting harm.


Self-harm is most common between the ages of 12 and 24. Self-harm is more common among women than men, with this risk being five times greater in the 12-15 age group. Self-harm in childhood is relatively rare, but the rate has been increasing since the 1980s. Self-harm can also occur in the elderly. The risk of serious injury and suicide is greater in the elderly who self-harm. Captive animals, such as birds and monkeys, are also known to participate in self-harming behavior.


Treatment BeterKlinic

BeterKliniek is the clinic for Integrative Medicine that bridges regular and non-regular medicine.

An van Veen (physician) and Michael van Gils (therapist) look for the cause of a condition or disease. That is where the treatment starts otherwise, as people often say, it is 'carrying water to the sea'. We call this cause medicine. Sometimes it is also desirable to treat the symptoms (at the same time). We call this symptom medicine.

Chronic disorders often have their cause in epi- genetics. You can schedule a free informative telephone consultation (phone number 040-7117337 until 1 p.m.) at BeterKliniek to discuss your symptoms so that we can provide you with further advice.