Why does my girlfriend cut herself?

Without asking your girlfriend personally, there could be a variety of reasons for cutting. Some reasons people self-injure is because they either don't want to feel an emotion, or because they want to feel something instead of being numb. Having emotions and feelings so strong that won't seem to stop, for some reason, cutting creates a temporary relief. Some people cut to punish themselves because they feel they have done something wrong, or because they were told they were bad/wrong (a lot of times repeatedly hearing those messages). In my early 20's a cut a lot to cope. I was ashamed of what I had been through and the more I cut, the more often I needed to cut. Personally, it was a cross between not feeling emotional pain and punishing myself for something I'd been through but believed it was my fault. There is some research on cutting, that after a few cutting episodes, it can create a chemistry change in the brain, where it becomes like an addiction to cutting, so it's pretty difficult to stop it without exerting effort if she's been cutting for a while. The difficult part is the more we cut ourselves, the harder it is to cope in general with things. If she isn't in counseling already, you might encourage her to find help through a counselor, her family doctor, or if still in school or college through the counseling office.

People hurt themselves for many reasons. The process of cutting can be quite addictive, so it could be an addiction instead of something bothering her. But let's not assume she's fine. Ask her, get her help, be her friend as well as her lover :)

Your girlfriend is doing the best she can to cope with very strong emotions, and this is the way she has come up with. I know that this can be very difficult to get your mind around, but try your best not to judge her. She really needs you right now.

She may be going through a hard time. It is possible that she is depressed, sad, lonely etc. I would try talking to her.

She may be going through difficult times right now and needs all the support she can get. It's a way to cope with the things she's going through.

She's probably facing hard issues with her family or having something burried deep inside her or you do something that hurts her

As someone who once self harm, it is not your fault. It maybe something they feel it is their only way to control or get out of their situation...

There can be many reasons for people to cut themselves, i recommend telling her to seek therapy, if you are in school, most schools have one

She possibly may be going through a tough time, If this is to be so - try helping her out or take/suggest a therapist or 7Cups listener to help her

It could be a way to distract herself from the other pain that she has like emotional pain. But it could be a way to see that she still is alive. When she has mental pain, the cutting takes that away. She starts to focus on the pain from the cutting. But after a while she will do it because it feels safe. It is almost a home. Cutting is a way to escape from the world, to make the pain go away. But it can be addicting, like you have to do it to make you feel okay. But there are so many reasons that someone hurts themselves. And if she tells you that she did it, don't be mad. Tell her that you understand, but don't approve. Tell her that you won't go away, but that is a fear that she has. Tell her that you will stay with her. But don't forget to tell her that she needs to get help, not right away, but some day. Be there for her, she will need you.