Self harm is a behaviour and not an illness. People self-harm to cope with emotional distress or to communicate that they are distressed. While it can be treated as a problem in it's own right, self-harm can be seen as a reflection of distress, inner turmoil and despair.

There is no reason for why people self-harm, and everybody's experience will be different. There is, however, a common theme of underlying distress, with self-harm being used as a coping strategy. People may self-harm to validate emotional pain, to survive overwhelming emotions, to control feelings of helplessness, to fulfil a perceived need to punish themselves or to attempt to feel something when they feel disconnected.