Why Does My Teen Self-Harm/NSSI

Why Does My Teen Self-Harm/NSSI ​​ People use NSSI for different reasons. Research suggests that the body’s pain response system of releasing endorphins is triggered during self-injury. Endorphins soothe pain, both physical and emotional, for a response that feels like a “release” or sometimes a “rush” after someone self injures.

For those who feel empty and numb to emotion, it is a confirmation that they can feel. Quite often, once someone engages in NSSI and feels the effects of endorphins, they are able to immediately feel better (temporarily) and move on feeling relieved from the high level of emotional distress.

​​ Some people use NSSI as a way to express their emotional distress and reach out for help. For many it can be difficult communicating the intense emotional distress or pressure they are feeling, and NSSI is way to physically show how deeply they are hurting and suffering internally.

Although this may appear as “attention seeking behavior” or a means of manipulation, if someone is self-injuring it is best to interpret the act as a real cry for help in addressing their internal pain.