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Self-Injury: General Information
Self-injury or self-mutilation is not the same as suicidal
behavior—although some people can show evidence of both. In self-injury, a
person tries to cause himself or herself physical harm without any intent
to die.
Self-injury is characterized by the following:
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the person
deliberately causes physical harm to himself or herself to the extent of
causing tissue damage (such as cutting, hitting, burning, scratching,
skin-picking, head-banging, breaking bones, not letting wounds heal, or
leaving marks that last for more than an hour)
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the person causes harm to
himself or herself as a way of trying to relieve unpleasant or
overwhelming emotions, obsessive thoughts, or feelings of psychological
numbness
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In some cases, the person often thinks about self-injury even when he
or she is relatively calm and not doing it at the moment.
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For more information on self-injury, we recommend:
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