Self-harm refers to when a person hurts their own body on purpose. It is not a mental illness, but a behavior that indicates a need for better coping skills. Several illnesses are associated with self-harm, including borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, anxiety, or posttraumatic distress disorder. People may self-injure for many reasons, such as control, a way of punishing themselves, relieving unbearable emotional distress, a cry for help, or a response to intrusive thoughts. Self-harm is most often described as a way to express or cope with emotional distress. Healthcare providers don’t use a specific test to diagnose self-harm. Instead, they inspect injuries, looking for patterns and scars from previous self-harm, and ask questions about medical and social history.

If you or someone you know is struggling with self-harm, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. The first step in getting help is talking to a trusted adult, friend, or medical professional who is familiar with the subject, ideally a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist will ask questions about health, life history, and any injurious behaviors in the past and present. Doctors can’t use blood tests or physical exams to diagnose mental illness, so they rely on detailed information from the individual.

To cope with emotional distress, researchers suggest finding healthy alternatives such as meditation. Try using an app like Headspace to get on the meditation bandwagon.