Why do people self-harm? - eviltoast

I don’t really understand why people do it. Not like “they’re doing it because they are depressed and feel bad”, I had depression myself but never had a call to injure myself. I hate pain, and doing something painful to myself while I’m already feeling bad doesn’t really sound appealing. So I don’t quite get what self-harm gives people so they keep doing it.

Like, is it a way to “ground” yourself and stop dissociating, or is it “just to feel anything at all”, or as a “punishment”, or something else?

  • Dr. Coomer@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It is a sad thing, but some people just don’t feel like their worth the oxygen. Some do it as a “help me” sign, some genuinely want to just die, but it mostly comes down to loneliness, lack of self worth, and belief that people don’t like you. In extreme cases, it’s as a way to recive attention other than for help, as some people just want to be noticed at all.