Self-injury can affect anyone and is a lot more common than people think.
Many people self-harm secretly for a long period of time before finding the courage to tell someone.
People who self-harm are not trying to commit suicide - they use self-harm as a way of coping with difficult emotions. Instead of openly expressing these emotions, they take them out on their bodies (for example by cutting or burning themselves, picking their skin, pulling their hair out, bruising themselves, abusing drugs, alcohol or other substances).
Many people who self-harm do not understand why they do it and may find it frightening to deal with the emotions that make them do it. Some say they feel things are 'out of control'.
When self-harming becomes a way of coping it is a sign that there are problems that need sorting out.
Self-harm is often linked to feelings of self-hatred, low self-esteem, poor physical self-image and depression and appears to be more common in women than men.
People who self-harm will often start doing so at the age of 14 or 15, but many continue to do so for a number of years.