Understanding Self-Harm Behaviors

Unexplained cuts, bruises, or burns

Because the most common form of self-harm is physical self-injury, signs such as unexplained cuts, bruises, or burns are more prominent. These are usually apparent in certain parts of the body, such as the wrists, arms, thighs, or chest.

Wearing Long Sleeves Or Long-Legged Pants

It’s quite common for people struggling with self-harm to hide their scars and bruises. Usually, this includes wearing long-sleeved shirts and/or long-legged trousers, depending on where they have self-harmed.

This habit may persist during warmer months as well when people generally feel more comfortable wearing short-sleeved shirts.

Frequent Isolation From Others

When you frequently engage in self-harm behavior, you may grow a habit of isolating yourself to hide injuries. Or, if your friends and family show concern about your well-being, you may prefer to isolate yourself to self-harm without being interrupted.

Keep in mind that NSSI is often associated with psychiatric conditions such as mood disorders. Consequently, you may feel the need to shut yourself away from others as a symptom of a disorder.

Keeping sharp objects like razors or knives

Because cutting is a common self-harm method, you may use sharp objects such as a razor blade or a knife. When you self-harm regularly, you may have these items close by, even when there’s no clear need for them.

Spending long periods in a locked room

For people who want to self-harm, bathrooms and bedrooms offer privacy to engage in the behavior without being interrupted. And because it can take some time for cuts and burns to stop bleeding, it’s common for people to spend considerably long periods of time when compared to what’s considered normal.

Increased isolation from friends and family

Research indicates a high correlation between self-harm behaviors and mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, and borderline personality disorder. When you struggle with a condition like BPD, you may go through periods of self-imposed isolation as a way to cope with difficult feelings.

Frequent need for bandages

Persistent self-harm can prevent previous wounds from healing, which increases the risk of infections. It can also increase the frequency with which you change bandages. If you suspect that a loved one is engaging in self-harm behavior, you may notice a recurring need to bandage their arms, hands, or legs.

Expressions of feeling hopeless

Studies indicate that feelings of hopelessness are an effective predictor of self-harm behavior. This could be because feelings of hopelessness and/or worthlessness are common symptoms in psychiatric conditions such as major depression, which carries a high risk of self-harm.

Difficulty in regulating emotions

There’s evidence that people who struggle with conditions such as PTSD and BPD have a tendency to self-harm. When you struggle with these conditions, you experience difficulty in regulating and controlling your emotions during stressful situations. In these times, self-harm is a way to express how you feel by converting your emotional distress into physical pain.

Negative self-talk or self-criticism

Research shows that having low self-esteem can be a risk factor for self-harm in adults and adolescents. This trait can manifest in the form of self-criticism and negative self-talk.

Emotional instability or impulsivity

According to the findings of one study, mood-based impulsivity is linked to a greater risk of initiating self-harm. Moreover, emotional instability is a common symptom of borderline personality disorder, which is commonly linked to self-harm.

Avoiding certain social situations

You may feel the need to avoid certain social gatherings, such as at a pool or at the beach, out of fear that others will see your scars or ask about them.