I harm myself on purpose. I never do it because I need to cope, I do it because I like the pain and like to have something on my body. I know I should stop, but I don't want to. Why is that?

There's actually a biological/hormonal reason for this. When you experience pain, your body releases endorphins that make you feel good and lessen the hurt/fear/stress that comes with the pain. You can also trigger an endorphin rush through exercise or laughter or riding a rollercoaster--things that make you feel satisfied or excited. But sometimes it seems like self-harm is an easy shortcut to that happy feeling. The problem is that self-harm can be addictive, and it can escalate. And instead of learning healthy coping mechanisms, you come to rely on this shortcut to feel good. It's like a drug addiction, in a way.

I get Tattoos when i feel like i want to self harm. yes im pretty much covered but i wont cut artwork.. This has helped me alot to stop self harming.

It seems that you are having self harm addiction based on pain. Some people just get addicted to hurting themselves as it makes them feel like they have fully control in them life but it's really important to remember that there is a way better things to do than to hurt yourself. Hurting yourself don't lead you anywhere it just leaves the scars on your body. Maybe you feel like you like them now but it would make you feel bad afterwards in your life.

It's because self harm is an addiction like any other. It takes a lot of self control to stop and maybe you're not ready yet.

A lot of people feel the same way! If you just want the pain then here's my advice: Run. Run as hard as you can, as fast as you can, for as long as you can. That will give you the pain without it being unhealthy. And since you want something on your body? Either get a tattoo or draw with pens on your skin. Those are just a few things that help me.

You don't want to stop because it's an addiction and you've been doing it for so long that you have a routine when you feel a certain emotion then you will want to self harm.

You don't want to stop because has become a habit. I suggest you get help from a licensed therapist

we can get as addicted to pain as we can to pleasure. We get comfortable, this is human nature whether it is bad or good for us we get use to our environment

I can't tell you for 100% sure but is it possible you just feel like you've gotten use to doing it almost as if it's become a habit? What I can suggest about the idea of liking to have something on your body is maybe just drawing. It would be less harmful. As for liking pain, perhaps squeeze a few ice cubes in your hand?

If you self-harm, even if there isn't a specific reason for it, it slowly becomes an addiction. This is mostly because, for some, the pain can have a rewarding effect on the brain, which makes you want to do it more and, you don't want to stop.

The reason that you don't feel like stopping is because self-harm is an alternative coping method. Your mind sees the self-harm as something positive since it's giving a temporary release of all of your thoughts which makes you feel better. Self harm also releases endorphins in the brain just like any other time you feel pain. These hormones are natural opiates and work to ease the pain and makes you feel better - this is usually what gets people addicted and not able to stop.

I think you have a Low self esteem and are taking out your anger on yourself by hurting yourself. You should definitely consider consulting a professional Therapist. I completely understand what you’re going through because I have been through something very similar. Please do try to talk about it personally to someone. Trust me, it helps and is necessary for a recovery. You will get better, really. You just need to reach out to someone and realise that you’re not alone in this. We’re all here to help you and care for you. It’s amazing that you’re sharing your issue here !

Because you don't think you have better options. But you do. There's always a better option than hurting yourself.

There a lots of different reasons why someone might self harm. Some do it too cope, so because they feel they deserve to be in pain and some because they enjoy the pain. Often the pain we create by self harming causes our body to release endorphins, these feel really good and can often feel like taking a drug. Obviously self harming is never a good thing and you should always try to stop. These endorphins might be the only way a person can still feel happy or pleasure and this makes it really hard to stop. Talk to a professional for coping strategies or try to find some healthier alternatives like eating something spicy or the rubber band method. Sometime eating something like chocolate which also releases endorphins in your body can also really help as stupid as it sounds. Just no that although you should try and stop self harming you are not broken or defective as a person. Your just dealing with something in an unhealthy way and there are loads of people who can help you with that!

I think you answered this for yourself. You like this pain so why would you even consider stopping for a second, right? You say you do not do it to cope and I wonder if pain is the only thing you have allowed yourself to feel up to this point. Are you trying to see how much pain you can take until your body gives up? It could also be you just simply put enjoy pain but if it is not because you get a thrill from the pain, otherwise there might be better methods to these things. Try bungejumping or getting tattoos. Tattoos are a bit more accepted than say scars.

Sometimes people self harm not to cope with everything but as an outlet. They do it because it is satisfying and makes them feel better. Sometimes the pain that you feel while doing the self harm feels better than the pain that you feel inside your head or the pain you feel in your chest. People self harm to feel the pain on the body instead of Inside the body. It takes your mind away from the pain your feeling mentally so your brain focuses on the pain you feel on the outside distracting you. This could make you feel better in the moment yes but is not the right way to go about it. It can cause sever harm to the body. trying another outlet to release the pain may be a better idea.

I totally understand this, I have went through the same thing. I knew I should stop, but I didnt want to because I also liked the pain and having marks on my body. It might be because you could feel like you are alive, like, you are here and exist. Stopping something like that takes focus, motivation, perseverance and a strong mind. I know how hard it can be and I know that it is nice to feel the pain. Not everybody needs to hear that things will be okay, some people just need someone to talk to them and listen instead of giving advice and telling them to stop. No matter which one you need, I understand and I would want to help.

Theres a variety of reasons people wouldn't want to stop self-injury. It could be it's calming, or it helps them feel something other than dread. A main reason however is they feel that, in a way, the object used understands them better than anyone else. It helps them and encourages them to keep them going on. Of course, this may not be your intent, but it's just a small list of reasons. Self-injury is a tough thing to grasp when it comes down to the enjoying pain factor. A reason we DO have however is dopamine is released during a burn, cut, or bruise formed, which can make self-injury an addiction just like heroin or cocaine.

Maybe because the pain from harming yourself is blocking pain from other events or situations. It helps you feel that nothing can make you feel pain other than harming yourself.

There are many reasons for people to self harm. However the dangers of self harm are pretty much the same despite the motive. You might not feel like stopping because it is giving you something that is very valuable to you at this specific point in your life. And also the dangers don’t feel quite real, when they haven’t happened yet. However keep in mind that what you are doing can cause more harm to you than you would imagine right now. The sense of control you might feel, isn’t as trustworthy as it may seem. As you find that you need to go further and further to get the same effects as you did in the beginning, the control will slip away. Starting to fight against self harm is not easy but it will certainly be worth it. There are many practical tips and alternatives that can help you overcome the urge to self harm. I wish you all the best.

When someone cuts themselves, it causes the brain to release a chemical. This chemical is called dopamine. Dopamine gives you a "feel good" rush that you can also get from food, music, s*x and drugs. It is an addicting chemical, so in result of this you can get addicted to cutting. You can get yourself to stop, by slowly replacing your cutting with something else that releases this chemical (but not drugs. Don't do drugs, kids). Luckily, this means that you can quit if you try to put in the effort that you need to to kick this habit.

The fact that you like the pain probably means you are a masochist, someone who likes when pain is inflicted on themselves. If you are a masochist, and like to feel pain, it probably isn't too bad if it makes you happy. However, if you ever feel the urge to try something drastic, you should make sure to tell someone, because that's very dangerous. If you really do feel the need to hurt yourself, try to keep it small. As for why you don't want to stop, you probably just feel good when you feel the pain. It's hard to stop doing something you like, just like any other thing. If this becomes a problem, and you do feel the need to stop, then you should try and seek professional help.

This is called addiction. You start doing something repeatedly because you enjoy it. Like drinking or smoking. And it is very difficult to get rid of such situations. You cannot stop even if you want to because you like doing it and you know no such method which can help you prevent this. You can put your agression and pain into other too then your body. Try scatching or drawing on a paper hard or writing your feelings out and then destroying it afterwards. Also try to calm yourself by meditating. You need to stop hurting your body. It will get you nowhere

I’m not a doctor to know the exact science, but as someone who self-harmed for many years, I feel like it has to do with the feeling you get as it happens. It’s almost like an adernaline burst, like it activates parts of your brain that bring you a quick and very temporary euphoria. If you dissociate, it also can be a harsh and harmful coping mechanism to “ground yourself”. It really could be a few things, probably. But regardless, you deserve to live a life where you are safe, even from yourself. ♡ Please always reach out for support because so many of us have been through this, there’s no judgement. ♡ And if you feel comfortable, seeking professional guidance would also be very beneficial!

Some people have an attraction or fascination with pain and marking one's body. This is often seen with people who get tattoos and piercings (not saying you have to like pain to get those, of course). Obviously it's not healthy to be harming yourself and you should seek help about that or attempt to replace it with safer substitute behaviors.

When we end up giving in to self-harm, sometimes it becomes a subconscious habit. It buries itself in our brains and becomes our preferred method of coping. And if we let it gain too much power over us, it may become an addiction. Addictions are very difficult to give up. But not impossible. You reached out, which means you care about getting better. You obviously care enough to want to do something. That's your first step. It's okay to talk about it. It's okay that you reached out. And most importantly, you will be okay. If you need someone to talk to about it, I'm here. I want to help you through it, and I can refer you to good coping methods for that issue specifically.

It is likely that you're experiencing an addiction to the pain. Self harm can often cause the release of endorphins, a chemical the helps with stress. The important thing in stopping self harm is to identify what triggers this behaviour, and then to find alternatives. There are many other activities that may cause positive pain, eg. exercise. It is important to find something healthy that you can undertake instead of self harm. Doing this may mean trying a variety of activities that may not work at first and that's totally okay. Have fun with it and take it as an opportunity to try new things!

When we cause ourselves harm we can control it. It is often a way to take control, because we can not control the world around us. It is also a way to distract from emotional pain, because physical pain is often easier for us to handle than emotional pain. Another reason may be subconscious or unconscious guilt, shame, or anger. Inflicting pain on one's self is a way of punishing for perceived wrongdoing. Some claim it is because of masochism, which is purposeful infliction of pain due to a pleasurable response. But this is more complicated than a simple pain and pleasure relationship. We are wired to avoid pain, so the enjoyment of pain is not simply that, there are underlying drives at play.

If you keep returning to something because it gives you comfort in some way, then that is still totally a coping mechanism! For many, physical pain is a distraction from emotional pain. When we experience pain our body also releases endorphins, which lessen the experience of pain and stress and can even result in a "high". Essentially when we self harm we get "happy chemicals" which can become addictive just like a drug that releases the same endorphins. Often times when we seek out the comfort of pain or drugs it is to fill a void or cover up a wound. Ultimately we have to address the wound from which we seeking comfort in the first place to address the unwanted behavior.

It could be related to some sort of trauma caused by any type of abuse, a sign of distress or a way to cope with difficult feelings in life. This issue has to be addressed as soon as possible or it might become a habit and also a risk factor for future suicide attempts. Some people self-harm themselves as a result of some sort of mental illness, but not all people have mental illness, in case they are accompanied by troubling thoughts or feelings it's important that the doctor knows about it, in other less severe cases talking about the problems affecting the patient with a listener is a good approach, writing, practicing relaxation exercises and even talking to friends also.