Intentionally cutting, scratching, burning or biting is called self-harm or self-injury. It usually has a psychological cause, for example, that a person has such intense feelings or is feeling so tense that it can hardly be endured. The person then injures him/herself to relieve the pressure. Others report that they could no longer feel anything due to bad experiences and that they only felt alive again after harming themselves. The people who perform self-harm are actually trying to heal themselves or to cope with something difficult. But since this act is directed against a person’s own body, it is not an effective means of self-healing. It only brings short-term relief. If the actual cause – emotional or psychological grief – it not treated, the intensity and the frequency of the incidents of self-harm often increases. It can become a real addiction. Many are ashamed and conceal the wounds or scars under long sleeves or injure themselves in places that nobody can see. They make up stories about how they suffered the injuries. They are scared of being called crazy or being put in the “nuthouse”. If this is how it is for as well, don’t despair. Have the courage to get help, this is the first step out of the vicious cycle! We won’t judge you; we will be happy to help you and to plan your next steps forward. But you also don’t have to be the one at risk to contact us. If you are worried about one of your friends because she is self-harming and you don’t know what you should do, then you can talk to us.
