why can't I just walk away from sef-harming when I know it's bad for me?

self harm is considered an addiction, many people who start self harming claim they arent able to stop, it gives them feelings of relief, every time they feel overwhelmed, they think about self harming, because they feel good after harming themselves, but its a temporary relief. there are ways to stop such as reaching out for help, finding things you like so you can distract yourself, let your feelings out in a healthier way (journaling, painting or even screaming into your pillow when you feel stressed, sad, angry...)

because its an addiction, you need to replace the addiction with something else. there are many alternatives online, just need to find one that works for you

Self harm is an addiction and quitting it is just as difficult--and just as much of an accomplishment--as quitting an addiction to cigarettes would be. It's okay if you can't quit all at once. Sometimes baby steps is the best way to get someplace.

Self harm is really difficult to recover from. It can take months or even years to stop getting the urges. I've been there. I know you can do it though. The thing that makes it hard is the release it gives us. We can actually give it up until we find another outlet ( a healthy coping skill). You can go online and search for "healthy coping skills". Try some out and see what works for you. Hope this helps! :)

I think that, after a while, it really does become both a physical and mental necessity. We know it's bad and we know that it isn't going to help much in the long run, but we enjoy the buzz and it makes us feel alive, which is why most people do it in the first place. But after a while, the sensation can fade, and then we are stuck with this mutilating addiction that is hard to get away from. i think it's because we convince ourselves that we need it, even if deep down we know we don't.

In my opinion, self-harm can be an addiction. No matter what kind of self-harm it is. It's something you can relapse on and it's something that hurts you. It may because it's what you associate with what will help you take your pain away.

People very often resort to self harm as a way to remove any emotional stress or pain into physical. Some feel that by doing that, the emotional pain effectively leaves the body when physical pain is released and stops. So there will be times when you feel that self harm is the only way. But the good thing is, that you know it is bad for you, and that would be the point to which you can find other coping mechanisms. For example, try to punch something soft instead, use a pen to symbolically mark where you would normally inflict pain. Write down your feelings. Take a look at the self help guide at the top of the webpage on 'Self Harm' - the guide will help you to understand more about self harm and find a variety of other coping mechanisms which you can try. All the best, StarryRiver83.

Because it works. In most cases, even after knowing that it is bad, people find it difficult to stop as it provides some amount of temporary relief and its hard to pull away from that. The temptations remain and overcoming them is a huge, difficult task which takes time.

You should realise the long term damage it can cause, and try to understand that self-harming will not do you any good. Try to find an alternative relief. For example, when I'm stressed, or having negative thoughts, I listen to music. Music can be very beneficial, just try to find something you like. Other alternatives include: Going outside for a walk, exercising, Writing (poems for example), drawing and much more.

Because it's an addiction and it's why it's so difficult for you. But you can do it, i believe in you.