DEPRESSION is a mood disorder characterised by persistent feeling of sadness, lack of energy, lost of motivation to perform everyday task, lost of interest in activities, and inability to engage with life’s challenges.
In a depression state people experience a sense of hopelessness and minor inconveniences may seem like an enormous obstacles.
They might doubt and be critical of themselves, and prompt to isolate from other people.
People with depression can develop abnormal sleep patterns, change in appetite and body weight, and suicidal tendencies.
SELF-HARM is deliberately harming of person’s own body usually through cutting, burning, scratching, self-hitting, and piercing the skin with sharp objects or overdosing.
Self-injury behaviour helps the person to release emotional pain, intense anger, and frustration. That relief is only temporary because the underlying reasons still remain.
Reasons that lead to self-harm include difficulties in interpersonal relationships, behavioural and emotional instability, impulsivity, depression, low self-esteem, unpredictable changes in person’s life, grief, alcohol and drug use.
One of the most common stereotypes is referring self-harm behaviour as an attention seeking. Many people who self-harm don’t talk to anyone and it can be very hard for them to find enough courage to ask for help.