Self-harm, such as cutting or burning, is caused by various factors including mental illness, environmental issues, genetic conditions, substance abuse, and deliberate acts to draw attention or manipulate others. It is often a temporary refuge from emotional pain but can lead to further emotional turmoil.
Any deliberate action taken with the intent to harm yourself without committing suicide, such as cutting or burning your skin, is considered self-harm. While many different factors can lead to intentional self-harm, mental illness ranks high among the common causes of self-harm. Other causes of self-harm may be related to one’s social environment, genetic background, or other family history issues. The various causes of self-harm also tend to be related to high levels of stress or emotional dissociation, both of which can lead to self-harm tendencies. Those who self-harm due to stress tend to feel calm and in control afterward, while those who self-harm due to emotional distance and dissociation tend to feel more alive and connected.
Mental illnesses, such as depression and bipolar disorder, are common causes of self-harm, as they can lead to both high levels of stress and feelings of dissociation and emotional numbness. Many people don’t know how to handle the tumultuous emotional states that often result from mental illness. In some cases, physical pain provides a temporary refuge from emotional pain, so people harm themselves in an attempt to distract themselves from their turbulent emotional states. Self-harm can, however, lead to further emotional turmoil, as most people don’t have unequivocally positive feelings about harming themselves.
Some causes of self-harm can also stem from environmental issues, such as being abused by a family member or warfare near one’s home. Exactly how such different situations lead to self-harm varies from case to case. Parental abuse can, for example, make a person feel inadequate, so they may hurt themselves due to feelings of self-loathing. Alternatively, living in a war-torn environment can leave a person emotionally raw and dissociated, and feeling as though they have little control over anything. If so, he may engage in self-harm to re-establish some sense of control over his life and emotional state.
There are many other causes of self-harm that are only loosely related to mental illness or environmental factors. For example, some genetic conditions have been linked to increased self-destructive tendencies. Similarly, some forms of substance abuse, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms can lead to the development of self-harming tendencies.
In rare cases, self-harm can be a deliberate and calculated act. One may harm oneself to draw attention to the underlying emotional pain in hopes of finding help. Alternatively, self-harm can be used to manipulate other people’s actions. While such manipulation may seem harmful, it is, in itself, often evidence of underlying emotional distress.
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