Nonsuicidal self-injury, often simply called self-injury, is the act of harming your own body on purpose, such as by cutting or burning yourself. It's usually not meant as a suicide attempt. This type of self-injury is a harmful way to cope with emotional pain, sadness, anger and stress.
Find out the causes, risk factors, and signs of cutting, what you can do if you discover a loved one is harming themselves, and where to turn for support.
Cutting is a common form of self-harm, a practice in which someone deliberately harms themself as a way of dealing with difficult feelings or overwhelming situations. Cutting might make you feel better or in control for the moment; however, in the long-term cutting makes you feel worse.