Self-harming

Whether it is a scratch or a deep cut, deliberately hurting yourself is self-harming. Self-harming may be one way you deal with difficult life situations, but it may put you at risk of other issues such as low self-esteem. Seeking help from your loved ones or a healthcare provider can help you avoid self-harming.

You are more likely to deliberately hurt yourself due to any of the following:

• Mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety can be difficult to deal with. These conditions may make feel like life is not worth living and push you to deliberately hurt yourself.
• Difficult life situations. You may lose your job, a loved one, or suffer heartbreak. These situations can be difficult to deal with. You may become withdrawn and persistently sad. These feelings can push you to deliberately hurt yourself in order to feel the pain going on in your mind.
• Abusing alcohol or drugs can change the way you think and the decisions you make. Your state of mind can change and you may feel the need to deliberately harm yourself.
• Losing a loved one to suicide. Seeing someone you love die from suicide may trigger you to deliberately harm yourself.

Self-harming may take away the pain you feel for some time. However, it can affect you in other ways, including:

• The wounds can get infected if you do not treat them properly. Your chances of having diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B also increase, especially if you share sharp objects with other people.
• You may not have the intention to kill yourself while self-harming. However, self-harming can trigger suicidal thoughts.
• Your scars from self-harming can make you feel less confident or reduce your self-esteem. Your triggers for self-harming may also further reduce how good you feel about yourself.
• Self -harming can increase your risk of having a mental illness such as depression or worsen your mental illness.

You are not alone. Here are some tips to help you cope with self-harming:

• Seek help. You do not have to handle your worries alone. Your healthcare provider can refer you to a therapist to help you manage your symptoms. You can share your thought with a loved one when you feel overwhelmed. You may also reach out to non-governmental organisations that can offer some help, such as Mentally Aware Nigeria (MANI), or Safe Place Nigeria.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs. They can affect how you make life decisions. If you are having issues quitting any of these, your healthcare provider can help you with talk therapy.
• Know your triggers. It is important that you know the things that push you to harm yourself deliberately. It could be someone who had abused you in the past or an illness you have to deal with. Recognizing these triggers can help you manage how you respond.
• Take care of yourself. Eat healthy meals, exercise regularly and hang out with your friends. This helps you have a positive outlook on life and prevents diseases.