Self-harm

Self-harm (SH) is injury to one's own body, whether conscious or unconscious. Some scholars use more technical definitions related to specific aspects of behavior. This injury may be aimed at relieving otherwise unbearable emotions, sensations of unreality and numbness, or for other reasons. Self-harm is generally a social taboo. It is sometimes associated with mental illnesses such as Borderline Personality Disorder, with a history of trauma and abuse, with eating disorders, or with mental traits such as perfectionism.

Culture / Community

It has been said, usually in a derogatory fashion by the Media, that there is a 'culture of self injury' within schools, colleges and on the web.

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There are certainly communities that are based around the subject of self harm, and they tend to focus around a message board with or without a main website. But there is not 'a community', there is not one Umbrella organisation that represents or speaks for people who self harm. There are many community sites of varying sizes that offer peer-support, emotional discussion, philosphical and psychological discussion, and general chit-chat.

Related Topics:
Message board - Umbrella organisation

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There is some consternation as to whether such communities encourage and support self harm, however, such communities are known as Pro-SI and are separate from general SI Awareness communities.

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There is anecdotal evidence6 that by being free to express feelings and SI related thoughts, that a person can understand their emotional world and reasons for self harming; people who no longer hurt themselves often continue to be members of SI Awareness Message Boards for some time after 'quitting' and offer support to those people who wish to move away from self harm.

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