Self harm is a behaviour that many, if not most, people find deeply unsettling. They might willfully ignore it if the signs are seen in colleagues, or classmates. They might avoid talking about it if the topic is brought up by a loved one at home.

But it is important to not avoid difficult things, and self-harmers will know that these behaviours have actually served a purpose in their life. Perhaps, it could be said, self harm has helped them.

Injurous self harm does come with some very real risks though, and moving away from injurous self harm to other ways of managing is a very important step on the path to recovery.

Here Dr Herbet Steiner talks through the topic of self harm behaviour and how he supports people to move on from that behaviour in his practice.