Self Harm - Cardinal Clinic | Private Psychiatric Clinic | Private Healthcare | Leaders in Private Psychiatric Healthcare

Self-harm is the deliberate damage of a person’s own body, more often than not with no conscious intent to commit suicide.

Young people have the highest rate of self-harm: approximately three teenagers harm themselves every hour in the UK. One in ten have harmed by the age of 16. Figures suggest that four times more girls harm themselves than boys. Self-harm is often done secretively and someone can suffer for many years before seeking help or before anyone else finds out.

There are a number of reasons why people self-harm and everyone will have their own reason for doing it. Many reasons are common:

To release anger
To turn emotional pain into physical pain – as some people feel they can cope with that pain more easily
To communicate distress
To express their anger
To punish themselves