Self harm is the act of deliberately harming ones body. This can be through a variety of different ways. Studies suggest that approximately three teenagers self harm every hour in the UK and that one in ten people have self harmed by the age of 16.

 

Reasons for self harm:

 

The reasons why people self harm are often unique to the sufferer and their individual circumstance. The most common reasons for self harm tend to be: 

 

• To communicate distress

• To punish themselves

• To express anger

• To turn emotional suffering into physical pain. Physical pain is often easier to understand and to know how to deal with

• To distract from their emotional distress.

 

The fact that a person often has to deal with the consequences of their actions can take their mind off the psychological distress they are facing even if only for a few minutes. For example finding and applying a bandage

Self harm is often done in private and in secret and can often be many years before anyone finds out or the sufferer asks for help.

At Wokingham Psychology we often receive calls from people that self harm and we can advise on how to get the most appropriate treatment for them. We also receive calls from friends and families about their loved ones. We are happy to talk through any individual situations and to see exactly how we can help.