Call 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger. Call or text 988 for mental-health crisis support in the United States.
Your symptoms made sense. We treat what they were managing.
If you’re living with nonsuicidal self injury care, you don’t need a substance use diagnosis to begin. Healing begins in our Partial Hospitalization Program: a full day of care, and home every night.
For a next step, call Women’s Recovery at 833.754.0554 to share your concerns and explore your choices.
These are rooms at our Denver office. You spend the day here, and you go home at night.
For people researching nonsuicidal self-injury, SAMHSA defines self-harm as intentionally hurting one’s own body. MedlinePlus notes that people who self-harm are usually not attempting suicide. These general definitions do not determine anyone’s intent or history. The Denver location page provides separate local contact information.
Supporting guidance: Self-Harm | Self-Injury | MedlinePlus What is Self-Harm? | SAMHSA
Nonsuicidal self-injury means intentionally hurting your own body when the behavior is not intended as a suicide attempt. Nonsuicidal self-injury can help you understand this distinction while recognizing that intent deserves careful attention. Learn about safety and urgent concerns and support for self-esteem and shame.
People who self-injure are usually not trying to attempt suicide, but no one should assume another person’s intent from appearance, frequency, or circumstances alone. A calm, direct conversation and professional assessment can help clarify what is happening, identify immediate concerns, and make room for the woman’s own account of her experience.
It may occur alongside emotional distress, relationship strain, shame, trauma-related concerns, or difficulty functioning in daily life, but the behavior alone does not establish any diagnosis. If you are concerned about yourself or someone close to you, compassionate support can reduce isolation and help determine whether routine care, prompt assessment, or immediate crisis assistance is appropriate.
Someone may turn to self-injury during intense distress, but there is no single cause or meaning that applies to everyone. It can reflect an attempt to manage feelings that seem unbearable or difficult to express. Support around women’s mental health and self-care and self-esteem and shame may offer helpful context.
These are possible functions, not conclusions about any individual woman. The behavior may bring a temporary change in feeling while leaving the underlying distress unresolved. Understanding what happens emotionally before and after an episode can help a mental health professional identify safer coping approaches that fit the person’s needs and circumstances.
A steadier response acknowledges that the behavior matters while allowing the woman to describe it in her own words. Appropriate care can focus on both safety and the pressures affecting daily life, including emotions, relationships, work, caregiving, or isolation. Change does not require minimizing what happened or expecting someone to solve everything at once.
Self-injury and a suicide attempt are not automatically the same. People who harm themselves are usually not attempting suicide, yet suicidal thoughts can coexist with self-injury or emerge as circumstances change. Explore guidance about suicidal thoughts and urgent help and broader safety and urgent concerns.
A direct assessment can distinguish the person’s intent, current thoughts, access to support, and ability to remain safe. This matters even when she clearly describes the behavior as nonsuicidal, because emotional states and risk can shift. Taking her words seriously includes listening without either dismissing the concern or assuming the worst.
Listen to the answer and take uncertainty seriously, especially if she cannot say she feels safe. Professional support can evaluate self-injury and suicide risk as related but distinct concerns, then match the response to what is happening now. Ongoing assessment also allows care to change if her thoughts, stressors, or safety needs change.
women’s treatment programs may involve appointments followed by a return home the same day. You can also review admissions information when deciding whether a conversation about outpatient care feels helpful.
Explore communities we serve and suicidal thoughts and urgent help for related guidance. Call admissions when you want to discuss your own situation.
Call AdmissionsNo. People who self-injure are usually not attempting suicide, but intent should never be assumed. Suicidal thoughts may coexist with the behavior or develop later. A direct, compassionate assessment can clarify what she means, how safe she feels now, and what level of support is appropriate.
Listen calmly, thank her for telling you, and avoid blame or demands. Take the disclosure seriously and ask directly whether she is thinking about suicide or feels unable to stay safe. Respecting her voice while responding to immediate risk can reduce shame and support an honest next conversation.
No single sign or incident explains a person’s intent, emotional state, or diagnosis. Self-injury is a behavior that deserves attention, but a professional assessment considers the broader picture, including current safety, distress, recurring patterns, daily functioning, and other concerns that may shape appropriate care.
Women’s Recovery lists its Denver address as 3801 E Florida Ave, Ste 650, Denver, CO 80210 and its phone number as 833.754.0554. Calling that number is a clear, direct next step if you want current information about care.
Call or text 988 for immediate mental-health, substance-use, or emotional support in Denver. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency. These public crisis services are separate from routine contact with Women’s Recovery. Denver lists these numbers for crisis support and emergency response.
Read how we select health information sources and apply the Women’s Recovery editorial policy. These references provide general education and context; they do not establish an individual diagnosis, service, or treatment recommendation.
If you can't believe that yet, borrow my hope. Just long enough to find your own.
Women’s Recovery graduate
