Many people self-injure because of overwhelming emotions, stress, or depression. These are just my observations and I’m not a doctor. I do have a few ways of dealing with these issues instead of self-injuring. This is what I used to do when I was trying to quit self-injury, and they are less harmful:

• Take a long, hot shower.
• Do something artistic, like paint, color, or sketch. I used to draw when I was trying not to cut. My drawings were still depressing but it was better than cutting.
• Write. Write for as long as you can. Write a poem, a short story, a song. I did this on an almost daily basis, it got my mind off of things.
• Have a support group to call. Call your friends and rant to them when something is bothering you. Just talking about something, regardless of how bad it seems, may not sound as bad after verbalizing it.
• Cry. Crying isn’t for the weak. Crying is for everyone. Crying makes you feel better. Crying is a great way to let out emotions.
• Scream into a pillow. It has the same releasing effect that crying does.
• Read a book. Get your mind off of whatever is making you depressed.
• Clean. Going on a cleaning spree can make you feel so much better. You’re taking all the negative energy you have and putting it to work.
• Exercise. Run, walk, do sit ups, swim, do anything to take your mind off of what’s going on and refocus.

These things always helped me cope as I tried to stop self-injuring. Remember though these are just my suggestions from my experience. If you self-injure or know someone who does you should seek help if at all possible.