Why do people injure themselves on purpose?
There is no single reason that explains why people engage in self-injurious behavior. The constellation of emotions that may trigger self-injury is complex. Generally there is an inability to cope in healthy ways with deep psychological pain, and self-injury provides a temporary sense of control over an otherwise uncontrollable situation. When one feels profound psychological emptiness, cutting and other forms of self-injury provide a way to feel something, even if it is physical pain. It is also a way to express one’s distress and despair as a self-punishing act or sometimes, a cry for help. Some self-injurers describe cutting as a way to have control over their body that is otherwise lacking. Others feel it is a way to make physical or real, a deep emotional wound.
