While you have of course clicked through to this page with the knowledge of what it is about, I feel I should still warn you that this post gets a massive trigger warning. But its not just the subject matter in hand that is going to be triggering for some, but also some of the things said. But nevertheless, it is a question that needs answering and one a lot of people have asked us to answer.
Does Self-Harming Always Lead to Suicide?
The short answer here is of course ‘No’. It doesn’t matter what form of Self-injurious behaviour the person is doing, it doesn’t guarantee they will end up committing suicide. Sadly the reason why this is the case is a little hard for some people to understand and once again I will tell you that the following paragraph will be VERY triggering…
The main reason self-harming doesn’t lead to suicide is because self-harming is a way of self-curing, a way for the person to express or regulate their emotions, it is not always a bad thing at all. Many people with BPD report that they feel better after self-harming and didn’t have any more suicidal thoughts like they might have before they did it. Now you probably don’t need me to tell you this, but if you are self-harming, no matter how slightly you should seek professional help as soon as you can. Also if you see this kind of behaviour in others do try to get them to do the same.
I understand that this question has been trigging for many, but I feel it needed to be answered, mostly based on the number of people who have asked us. #The bottom line is while self-harming isn’t a sign of attempting suicide it is still something that should be tackled as soon as it becomes noticeable, but it very rarely leads to deliberate suicide.
If you have any questions relating to BPD please do drop a comment below and help us all share the knowledge with others. If you have any other questions relating to BPD or would just like some advice on the disorder do get in touch with us via the contact us page. It’s easy to do, we are both responsive and confidential, plus we never save any of your details in any way.
