Self injury can show up in all walks of life, for all people. This is because almost always, when it begins, self injury walks hand-in-hand with depression. As you can imagine, there are many different places this could show up such as in times of war, abandonment, poverty, old age or adolescence.

Studies show that women are more prone to self injury than men. Young adults are also prone to it. Imagine fighting with not only your body changing but also the pressures of school, your family, your peers... and being trapped in the uncomfortable void where you are expected to act like an adult but still treated like a child. It is easy to see why teens are typically stereotyped as the 'only' group who self injures, despite the fact that this is untrue.

People with a lot of questions and no answers are prone to self injury, as are those in times of emotional turmoil. Depression, a huge catalyst for self injury, makes it seem as though you can 'feel' nothing. A lot of self injury is an attempt to define the self or 'feel' something. Those who self injure may be afraid of hurting others, even though they want to lash out (even if it is just verbally) and so may turn the feelings inwards. They may feel helpless at the pain of others around themselves and decide that at least, for once, it is them hurting and not those they love.

Those who suffer from self injury are not the same as those who may be doing it for the sake of shock value. However, those who do it for shock value often make it difficult for those who suffer from it to come forward as they are afraid of being seen as "attention seekers." It is problematic. If you self injure and you come forward, however, you are not in it for attention. If you were in it for attention, you'd be standing on the steps of town hall with a megaphone and a big screen TV broadcasting it. Coming forward to seek help is totally different from shoving something in everyone's face. Don't be afraid to tell friends and family and ask them to help you.