Self-injury is a coping mechanism. Some people have been through very traumatic experiences (ex. rape, child abuse, someone they knew committed suicide, etc.) and they can't talk about it. Others have been raised not to express emotions and thus are crippled when it comes to expressing certain emotions (mainly sadness, anxiety, and anger).

There are many different reasons people self-injure. Here's some of my reasons and reasons I've heard frmo others or read in psych books:

1) To try and gain control of emotions that you feel like are completely overwhelming you.
2) To express anger.
3) To ground yourself in reality when you don't feel real or conected with your body.
4) To distract yourself from the pain inside.
5) Physical pain you can understand is better than emotional pain you can't.
6) Re-enacting physical/sexual abuse. In this new scenario, the person harming herself (or himself) is coping with abuse. By re-enacting it this way they take control of the situation, which previously was taken away by the abuser. They can control how much pain, how long it's inflicted, etc. It helps them feel less victimized. (This is pretty rare, but it does happen. Generally it has to be a pretty severe case of abuse.)
7) Pressure cooker theory: A person feels like if they don't cut or release all of the emotions somehow, they will explode or go crazy.
8) A person feels worthless and guilty so they punish themselves by inflicting pain, thus easing their guilt.
9) It can be obsessive compulsions. Two examples are picking at your face (compulsively, ending up with scars, sores, etc.) and trichtotillomania (pulling out your hair compulsively). Generally these are brought on by anxiety rather than depression.
10) You feel like your scars explani what you can't.
11) Scars remind you that the past is real.

That's all I can think of, but other self-injurers may have completely different reasons. Overall, self-injurers are emotionally and often mentally suffering. Whether they've been through trauma or just emotionally stifled, self-injury is what keeps them alive. It helps them cope with their pain. It isn't healthy and I'm not advocating it, but I want people to understand it. The sooner people understand it, the sooner people will stop scorning us and the more likely it will be that self-injurers get help. Many don't admit to it for fear of rejection, disgust, and abandonment. Don't encourage the bad habit, but don't bad mouth the person for doing it. It will only worsen the problem.

http://www.depressionet.com.au/

-------
0_o

I noticed that when I was telling people about my religion, they would say I was just a stupid teen who is a retard (the majority of these people were christian). This made myself cut more. I didn't tell anyone, my friend found me behind the school with a saftey pin as I was getting ready to cut my chest.

I quit when I first learned the lyrics to the cradle of filth song "nymphetamine" the verse follows:

"Cold was my soul
Untold was the pain
I faced when you left me a rose in the rain
So I swore to the razor that never enchained
Would your dark nails of faith
Be pushed through my veigns again."

I heard this while I was contemplating suicide and realized how in trouble I really was. Then I found Satan and he helped me find comfort and new friendships. If it were not for Satan, I wouldn't be here to type this post right now.

Cutter to Cutter, I am telling you that there are other ways to handle that which overwhelms us. PM me if you want to talk sometime.

Best wishes.

-------
"Might you find, within your infinite patience and grace, an
interest in the delicate art of me double-teaming you
with Thomas Jefferson?"

The only reason I  judge xianity is because I was once a christian and to judge, one must experiance both sides. Seeing that you have obviously been full of the nazerene for a while and have never even tried to understand Satanism your judgement is crap.

-------
"Might you find, within your infinite patience and grace, an
interest in the delicate art of me double-teaming you
with Thomas Jefferson?"

Anyway, I think why you self-injure is completely and utterly subjective. And it's usually very simple. We try to make things more complicated so we don't have to face the real answer. If we do, then we have to change, and change is petrifying.

-------
In a city made of steel
The concrete rage is all we feel

---

I was not preaching anything if you actualy read it and can understan the english language. Let's get this back on track and forget this crap.

---

Deal. I suppose we can set our differences aside for the betterment of others in this case.

-------
0_o

I just had to add on that anyone who cuts/burns/etc for attention, isn't a real self-injurer. A real self-injurer uses self-injury as a coping mechanism. It's not a "Look at me, look at me" thing. It's done in private and all evidence is carefully hidden.

Unfortunately, some people who are desparate for attention try to hurt themselves once or twice to get someone to pay attention to them, but they generally stop pretty fast. They don't get the comfort, the relief from self-injury that real self-injurers do. Maybe this sounds snobby, but when I say self-injurer I mean someone who has been struggling with this for a while, not someone who's tried it once or twice. Some people glorify it or think it's a fad, but it's a problem for self-injurers. It becomes a habit, an addiction, a compulsion.

---

I just had to add on that anyone who cuts/burns/etc for attention, isn't a real self-injurer. A real self-injurer uses self-injury as a coping mechanism. It's not a "Look at me, look at me" thing. It's done in private and all evidence is carefully hidden.  

Unfortunately, some people who are desparate for attention try to hurt themselves once or twice to get someone to pay attention to them, but they generally stop pretty fast. They don't get the comfort, the relief from self-injury that real self-injurers do. Maybe this sounds snobby, but when I say self-injurer I mean someone who has been struggling with this for a while, not someone who's tried it once or twice. Some people glorify it or think it's a fad, but it's a problem for self-injurers. It becomes a habit, an addiction, a compulsion.

---

Interesting, I do have a friend who cuts for 'attention', but it's not the 'look at me I'm so hardcore etc'. She cuts to get attention from her parents, they tend to ignore her, and she finds that if she has cuts, they pay more attention.
Also, I burn myself, not to cope with shit or whatever, but because I really like the feeling, it sounds ridiculous but I can't help but love the feeling of burning, oh but I keep that well hidden. Although, I don't know if I would refer to myself as a 'self-harmer'.

-------
I like RHCP