as posted here:  http://incurable-hippie.blogspot.com/2007/03/difference-between-self-harm-and.html

The Difference between Self-Harm and Suicide.

Dear John O,

Thank you for your emails, which I always read with interest and concern, and usually respond as best I can to calls for action.

I had to respond to this one, though, because of the way you are classing self-harm and attempted suicide as one and the same thing. This is just factually incorrect and very misleading.

There are many reasons why people self-harm, but it is most frequently a coping mechanism, indeed something which people can use in an attempt to *prevent* themselves getting to the point where they may end up attempting or committing suicide.
Some info:

There are probably as many reasons for self-harming as there are self-harmers.

Some people find that when they self-harm they experience a "release" which they cannot achieve in any other way. This can be a huge relief if feelings of depression, anger, self-hatred, fear or anxiety are becoming overwhelming.

Others find that when emotional pain becomes unbearable, if they hurt themselves in some way it transfers the pain to physical pain on the body. For many, physical pain (e.g. from a cut or a burn) is much easier to deal with than deep emotional pain.

On a similar note, some people find that hurting themselves physically gives them more control over their pain and their lives. Whereas it is difficult to control the emotional pain you may feel, if you then take charge of the pain and are in control of it, this can seem easier to deal with.

On the surface it could appear that self harming is similar to suicidal behaviour, especially if people are cutting their wrists, or overdosing. However for an awful lot of people, self harm is known to prevent suicide. By the means I mentioned above, self harm can take the edge off overwhelming feelings, and thus make someone less likely to attempt or commit suicide.

Some people self harm as a way of punishing themselves. If they feel guilty for something they have done, said or thought, they may then cut or burn or otherwise harm themselves because it is what they feel they deserve. Often the "punishment" is much more severe than is warranted, for example someone slashing their wrists because they overslept.

Self harm can also be anger turned inwards. For women in today's society, showing outward signs of anger is a socially unacceptable behaviour so if someone angers them, instead of shouting at them or taking their anger out in other ways, they may self harm to get rid of the supposedly unacceptable angry feelings.

There is also a scientific theory which could explain some people's self harming behaviours too. This is the theory that when we are in physical pain, endorphins ("happy" chemicals) are released into the body, leading to something resembling a "high". So when someone is feeling especially down or depressed, self harming could lead to a boost of endorphins which could make them feel better, albeit temporarily.

I would actually be surprised if incidents of true self-harm were not higher than those you quoted below. The disgraceful number of attempted suicides is probably much smaller than the incidences of self-harm which may often be well hidden and never receive medical treatment. So by merging the two in your mail you are possibly even downplaying the actual number of self-harm incidents.

I disagree with what you say. Of the (many) cases of self-harm I have come across visiting immigration detainees, most were actual suicide attempts: people wanted to die, not just to seek a temporary release. We are not talking about women who were abused in their childhood and keep self- harimng as a result, we are talking about people who are put in an unbearable sitution and pushed to the limits of desperation. The fact that such a few succeed in taking their own lives is mainly due to the strict prison controls and the presence of cameras everywhere: it is not an indicator they were not really trying. Others self-harm without intent of dying, but sometimes - often as it
goes - the self-harm pattern escalates to become life threateng, or anticipates a determinate suicide attempt. I belive it is really difficult to draw a clear distinction between sucide and self-harm amongst immigration detainees, and John O is quite right in using the two terms interchangeably.
Nearly every detainee I spoke to thought of suicide at least sometimes, including some children. Many did try.
I must suggest you should have got the facts before submitting your contribution.

Chiara,

I know well that there are many attempts at suicide in detention centres. I am merely stating that the commonly understood use of the term self-harm is something quite different, and that not separating the two is doing a disservice to both those who self-harm and those who attempt or commit suicide.

Clarity can only help.

I'm not sure what 'facts' you're talking about, but I have got plenty. And even if I didn't I'd be happy to contribute opinions anyway.

I stated in my message that I believe the released figures mainly document attempts at suicide, and that self-harm injuries would be rarely reported or noted, so would make the figures much higher. I stand by that.

this is not self harm or suicide

this is TORTURE

and MURDER