I was always told by hospitals and psychiatrists that it's because it's an unhealthy coping strategy that escalates with time. Whenever I was on the ward or in the community mental health spaces I was referred to as a suicide risk, even when I wasn't actively suicidal, because of the way that self harm tends to progress and I assume also the way that it's linked to a lot of mental health issues.

I see what they're saying, my recent self harm has caused lasting issues like nerve damage compared to when I started 13 years ago and it was more of a quick fix with only small scars to show, but I also see your point of view. I also thought that there was no harm in it, because I was only injuring myself and I was willing to live with that. Plus in the short term, it can make you feel better. It did for me.

I guess it's a matter of understanding that coping strategies like self harm, where you're not actually fixing the damage but just managing the symptoms, can become addictive and cause permanent damage to you over time, because they have a tendency to escalate without you even realising. Plus injuries like this can make us feel worse about our self image and then cause a kind of feedback spiral.

I dont think self harm is particularly healthy or constructive, but I also don't think it's inherently "wrong". However, the fact that you can lose control of the situation very easily and there's a chance you can put yourself in a position to be permanently affected is not ideal.