Paper Hearts
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A SAFE self-help site for victims of self-harm and suicide.
Self-Harm

About Self-Harm
Self-harm goes by many names; self-mutilation, self-abuse, self-harm, self-injury, but they all mean the same thing. It can be defined as "intentionally hurting oneself in the form of a coping mechanism." Considered a taboo because of it's secrecy, self-harm has been around for over thousands of years. In today's generation, it could be considered a silent epidemic.
- Cutting (wrists, thighs, stomach, etc) or scratching
- Burning the skin
- Hair-pulling
- Pinching
- Snapping the wrists with a rubberband
- Preventing the healing of wounds (scratching at scabs, etc.)
- Hitting the head (on the wall, with the fist, etc)
- Over-dosing on pills or other medicines
- Biting oneself
- Embedding objects into the skin
Types of Self-Harm
Statistics
- About 79% of self-injurers are under the age of 18. That's about 1 in 12 teens.
- The number of girls that self-injure is almost twice as high as the number of boys.
- About 1% of the U.S. population currently self-injure. Due to it's secrecy, the actual number is probably a lot higher.
- ​There are countless forms of self-injury. However, cutting and burning are considered the most common.
Courtesy of Parenting.org and Mailonline.com
Causes
The main cause of self-harm is depression or overwhelming stress. Most people who self-harm use it as a coping mechanism, a way to deal with the stress or depression they're going through.
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Despite popular belief, self-injurers are not trying to get attention by their actions. In fact, the fear and shame of their behavior prevents many self-injurers from seeking help.

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