Self-harm means deliberately injuring one’s own body, usually during emotional pain that has become hard to bear. It is not the same as a suicide attempt, though it is a serious signal of distress and it raises suicide risk over time when it goes untreated. Any relief is brief, and none of what caused the pain is resolved. Self-harm responds well to treatment.
How Self-Harm Connects To Addiction
Self-harm and substance use turn up together often, because they tend to serve the same function: escape from feelings that have become overwhelming. A person may drink or use to blunt the shame that follows an episode, or to numb the distress that came before it. Intoxication also lowers inhibition and raises impulsivity, which makes an episode more likely. Both patterns commonly trace back to trauma, depression, or anxiety. Treating one and leaving the other alone rarely holds, which is why programs should screen for both. They should also screen for suicidal ideation, which often appears alongside them and changes what a safety plan needs to cover.
How Self-Harm Is Treated In Recovery Settings
Care begins with medical attention for any injury and a clear assessment of safety, followed by a safety plan the person helps write. Dialectical Behavior Therapy has the strongest evidence base for self-harm. It pairs individual therapy with skills training in emotion regulation and distress tolerance, plus coaching between sessions for the moments when urges spike. Trauma-focused therapy addresses what sits underneath. Medication can treat co-occurring depression or anxiety, and group and family work help rebuild relationships that long distress has strained.
If you are worried about someone, say so plainly and listen without judgment. Shaming a person deepens the isolation that feeds the behavior. In the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
