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Is someone who self harms also suicidal?

71 Answers
Last Updated: 04/07/2020 at 3:49pm
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
October 25th, 2016 8:40pm
That's not at all the case. Self-harm is about feeling the desire for the pain or punishment, but it doesn't mean that those who self-harm are suicidal. However, in some cases, they are, but for the most part, they aren't.
Anonymous
April 4th, 2017 11:46pm
Good question! Not necessarily. In my experience, I self harmed to stay alive and cope with my emotions. Self harm is negative coping mechanism, When I was suicidal, I wanted to leave this earth and make the pain stop. So, generally the answer is no. However, my therapist told me that self harming increases the likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation.
TaranWanderer
April 25th, 2017 6:39pm
Not all the time. There are different reasons for self-harming, and one can be because they are suicidal, but that's not always the case. It's best to talk to the person instead of assuming.
zeinaby
May 23rd, 2017 1:22am
Not necessarily. Self harm is more of beating yourself up, while suicide is ending everything all together. While both sort of relate to each other, they are both two completely different things.
Anonymous
October 17th, 2017 5:06pm
Well, not always. Self harm can be used as a non-suicidal coping mechanism. There is a certain chemical that is released after self harming, which can give a short term sense of relief.
ClimbingForever1
December 19th, 2017 6:07pm
Not necessarily. The two can be quite commonly linked, but remember that people self harm and are suicidal for different reasons.
Anonymous
February 26th, 2018 7:50pm
yes and no, someone can be suicidal if they self harm but normally this is NOT the case, if they show signs that they are suicidal you should try to ask them if they are ok :)
BigSuper
March 6th, 2018 10:07pm
Every situation is different. I know people who have self harmed in the past, and haven’t thought about suicide. And I also know people who have done self harm before and attempted suicide.
Anonymous
June 11th, 2018 5:26pm
No, although self harm is commonly thought to be linked with suicide. Often, self harm is used as a way to take control over ones life
LoserPreston02
July 10th, 2018 10:49pm
From what i've seen, no. But it is very common among suicidal individuals to self harm. I suggest if you self harm, you get professional help.
crazyathlete89
July 9th, 2019 9:18pm
No, most of the times people who self harm do it as a coping mechanism to make life more barable and actually want to live but are struggling with negative emotions and conditions varying from depression and borderline personality disorder to bipolar or eating disorders. Often these people have harsh ideas about themselves but want to live. People struggling with self harm often do so to escape emotional pain, to make themselves feel more real and more alive, because they simply enjoy physical pain, or because they want to punish themselves. Rarely, non-suicidal-self-harm can lead to near death experiences and can cause infections and can even lead to death but death was usually never the intention.
Anonymous
April 7th, 2020 3:49pm
Not always, in many cases it can be a way to release emotions. I have been in this situation, I used to self harm as a coping method. I didn't do it because I was suicidal - I did it because it gave me a sense of relief, however I realized the relief is temporary. Therefore, from my own experience, I wouldn't say that everyone who self harms is also suicidal. I believe it's more of a coping method than a way out, as such. I overcame this by seeking therapies and I found other, better ways to manage my emotions.
optimisticSnow80
November 14th, 2014 11:31am
Not necessarily. These two are usually done for different reasons. Those who self harm often engage in such behavior as a maladaptive coping mechanism to distract themselves from psychological distress. They only self-harm because they feel it makes the suffering go away. Those who are suicidal often are for a variety of reasons. Deep, unresolved depression, a significant life crisis, feelings of futility, guilt, low self esteem, are among the long list of factors that can lead someone to attempt suicide. These two people can be the same person, but the they are not caused by the same factors and are not connected.
JosJolly98
September 28th, 2014 6:20am
Sometimes. People cut for different reasons, it might be for attempting to kill themselves or just a release, either way you should refer them to the suicide hotline for help as it's still dangerous for them.
EmmaRose13
October 8th, 2014 6:59am
No, someone who self harms does not also have to be suicidal. Often, self harmed is viewed as more of a "cry for help" rather than suicidal tendencies. I have dealt with both self harm and suicidal tendencies before, and the feelings did not always overlap or even correlate.
Octoberfirefly
October 20th, 2014 11:47pm
Not necessarily. Sometimes self harm just serves as a 'relief' of some sort for certain people. So even if they're not in a good place, doesn't mean they feel suicidal.
illbebyyourside1
October 21st, 2014 5:31pm
Not always. Self harm its not a form of suicide, it's a form of letting the pain go away. But it can become a vicious, it's why this is so dangerous.
SpasticQueen
October 23rd, 2014 11:08pm
Not necessarily. I've known several people that have self harmed, but were completely against suicide. Its common that people self harm because the physical pain distracts them from the emotion pain.
Thereforyou
October 24th, 2014 9:58pm
yes a person who self harm is also suicidal as at the extreme conditions they prefer dying to further selfharm
Gemma8483
October 25th, 2014 2:02pm
No, they can be but often aren't. Most people who self harm do so to help them cope with their life, and not to end it.
Jawhitby
October 25th, 2014 6:05pm
No, people who self harm want to feel something, people who are suicidal want to stop feeling something
EmilyH
November 2nd, 2014 5:11pm
It depends completely about the person. There are many reasons for self harming, and attempiting suicide might be one. Bad if the persons self harming is really bad then the person might also be suicidal.
amandapclaw
November 4th, 2014 5:30pm
I believe that the two an exist mutually exclusive of one another. I know that it is not the common practice, but in my own struggles with depression, my self harm would serve as a way of releasing negative feelings or as a punishment to myself, while the feelings of wanting to commit suicide came years after I had stopped self harming.
HeyItsMeLiz
November 8th, 2014 1:46pm
Not necessarily, but it's a slippery slope. Sometimes people who hurt themselves do it as a way to stay alive - as an outlet for pain. But sometimes people who hurt themselves do it to experiment with suicide. It is important to talk to the person one-on-one about it first, and then if you find the situation too serious for you, obtain advice anonymously from someone else. If you think the person is in immediate danger, have them call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Anonymous
November 8th, 2014 3:43pm
No. Someone who self harm CAN be suicidal, but not all the time. A lot of persons use or used to self harm but not all of them are suicidal.
Gracey
November 8th, 2014 11:18pm
Some people who self- harm may be suicidal but generally they are not, self-harm is a way of coping and therefore someone who self harms is trying to keep going.
Anonymous
November 13th, 2014 8:34pm
Not necessarily, some people self harm to cope with stress or anger, that doesn't mean they want to die, it means they just don't know how to live...
364rain567
September 7th, 2015 1:36am
Not always. Just because you self harm doesn't mean you are suicidal but some people are both. You can be really depressed and self harm but know there is a place for you and you don't want to consider suicide
Anonymous
November 15th, 2014 2:51pm
I guess you could say that...but I never talked to anyone that self harmed and is suicidal so...ya...
guyinasuit
November 15th, 2014 4:42pm
No - a lot of people who self harm are doing it because they want to punish themselves for something or to feel alive - people who are suicidal are usually suicidal because they think they can't keep living anymore.