I was dismayed to discover that there are multiple forms of self-harm, and that specific self-harm is one of the few. Lip biting, scab picking, nail biting, cuts, burns, eating disorders, the list goes on. Most are caused by anxious tendencies: scratching dead skin or playing with fingernails, everyone does it, right? Even if there is stress, it is a form of self-harm. Something so small you'd think it wouldn't be that big of a deal. However, the number of suicides linked to self-harm is increasing every month. While self-harm becomes a preferred “escape” for those stuck deep in a hole, depression is more than a passing sadness. Three people I know have died from self-harm related incidents, two of them had no suicidal tendencies. Although the usual first thought that accompanies self-harm is, "Oh, they're trying to kill themselves," I speak for those of us who are struggling to recover. Self-harm does not make someone suicidal. Self-harm rates are on the rise and it's a problem some people want to ignore. It is a disease; a disease that takes over an entire being and distorts the thought process into believing that the only way to feel alive is to prove that there is still a pulse. It's a battle, and it's been ignored for too long. I am a survivor. Even though there are others in the world who, without a doubt, have had it much worse than me, I find myself alive and well day after day. Fighting self-harm has been a fight for survival, and I'm at least somewhat proud to say that I've made it this far and I'm still fighting. In 2010, I lost a close friend to an eating disorder. He was a star student, he made his parents proud, had a lot of friends and people adored him, but he purged himself daily...... middle of paper...... sometimes , wanting to control the pain someone feels, results in hospital visits, or worse: suicide. Although not everyone who self-harms has suicide in mind, some simply want something other than numbing. It is a terrible addiction that consumes and controls the mind. It becomes the only way to escape or live. Hurting yourself to feel alive is sickening. Depression is an incurable illness, and depression-assisted self-harm is a cancer of the mind. The recovery process is anything but easy. Even if progress is made, sometimes a feeling of unworthiness takes over and can lead to relapses. Watching the signs and lending a helping hand could make all the difference. This may take the form of a change in eating habits, a change in normal dress, bandages, lack of social interest, and loss of interest in activities or relationships..