Some autistic people use self-harm as a way to cope with or express overwhelming emotional distress. This guide explains how to get help, both with self-harm and the underlying issues causing it.
 

What is self-harm? 

“Self-harm is when somebody intentionally damages or injures their body. It's usually a way of coping with or expressing overwhelming emotional distress. 

Sometimes when people self-harm, they feel on some level that they intend to die. More than half of people who die by suicide have a history of self-harm. 

But the intention is more often to punish themselves, express their distress, or relieve unbearable tension. Sometimes it's a mixture of all three. 

Self-harm can also be a cry for help.” 

The NHS website 
 

Causes of self-harm in autistic people 

Being autistic may mean that you find it hard to communicate with and understand others. This can include things like making sense of your own feelings, communicating how you feel and interacting and socialising with others. These challenges can mean you are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, which may make you more vulnerable to self-harm. 

To prevent an emotional crisis, it is important that you access support to help you with any of these challenges. It is very important that you identify and address any triggers that may cause you anxiety, and could potentially result in self-harm. Some triggers to look out for are: 

• feeling socially isolated or rejected 
• being bullied 
• difficulties with transitions, for example, changing jobs or moving home 
• pressures from workload or responsibilities at school, work or home.
   

What to do if you are struggling with self-harm 

If you are struggling with self-harm, you can access support by contacting the GP who can refer you to your local mental health team. The GP will also check any injuries you have concerns about.  

Treatment and support for self-harm usually involves talking therapies (such as CBT) and can involve medication.

There are different services and online support resources about self-harm available, such as Mind, that include useful advice, helplines and contacts.  

You can also: 

• call Samaritans for free on 116 123 – they're always open and are there to listen 
• contact your GP for an emergency appointment or the out of hours team 
• contact NHS 111 (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) or NHS Direct 0845 46 47 (Wales) 
• contact your local crisis team, if you're under their care. 

Specific support for self-harm includes: 

• Self-injury Support  

0808 800 8088 or 0780 047 2908 (text support) - information and support for women and girls affected by self-harm, trauma and abuse 

• lifesigns.org.uk - user-led self-harm information and support network 

Getting support to identify, understand and manage your emotions is essential to addressing problems that may underlie self-harm.

Useful links

Personal accounts

The following accounts may share information and experiences that you may find distressing.

Greenwood, G. (2017) Autism and self-harm. Seeing double, understanding autism 

Jubaris, M. (2019) Bleeding: An Insider's Account. Spectrum Life Magazine 

Sam (2017) Autism and Mental Health: Proving Everyone Wrong. Young Minds 

SwedishRebornMum (2012) My life story - self harm, aspergers, anxiety, suicide attempts. YouTube 

Resources

Autism West Midlands (2016) Autism and self-injury  

Mental Health Foundation (N.D.) The truth about self-harm 

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2011) Self-harm in over 8s: long-term management. Clinical guideline [CG133] 

NHS (2020) Where to get help for self-harm