Can self harm be considered a coping mechanism?

In my personal point of view it can. Self harm can make your head clear again, can help you to focus or to calm down.

Yes, but it isn't a healthy one, it's the same as abusing alcohol or drugs. It's only a temporary, and very risky, solution.

Yes, Self harm is a way of handling things...it might not be the best one for reasons such as: 1-taking care of wounds/ posible infections, 2- posibility off it turning into an addiction, 3-negative perception by some/seen as suicidal behavior, and some others I can't remember now. Still its important that you try to not blame yourself or be too hard on yourself for thing, often we are just trying to deal with things the best way we can and self harm at some point seemed like a good option. Yet I do recomend that you try and consider some healthier mechanisms for coping, we are here for you and you can reach out to us whenever you want to help you find alternatives or a way to address the issue that makes you feel the need to self harm.

It is a coping mechanism, but not a good one. While it helps you cope at the time, it is not a long term fix and it is dangerous and addictive. There are thousands of better ways to manage your feelings.

Technically yes, it is. But it is a negative coping mechanism. There are positive and negative coping mechanisms.

Yes, however, it is a destructive coping mechanism, which means that it doesn't solve the conflict. Another constructive coping mechanism would be talking to a listener on 7 Cups of Tea!

It can be, but it shouldn't be. It's not healthy for the obvious reasons of infection and scarring.

Yes, some people consider self harm to be a coping skill. It is not a very healthy coping skill and I believe those that self harm should begin seeking more effective coping skills.

I used to think self harm was a coping mechanism, but it wasn't a good one. I feel like self harm is basically like drinking or doing drugs to cope. We are still inevitably harming our bodies and the problem still lingers in the back of our minds. I think a coping mechanism can be either negative or positive. We just choose which ones we should use.

It is a coping mechanism because you are using self-harm to repress or express an emotion that is difficult to process. But it is a temporary and dangerous way to cope. While other coping activities might seem almost impossible to do during a time of distress (ex: call a friend, paint your nails, go for a walk), give the activities a chance. It can help more than you know.