Trying to understand why people self-harm can be difficult. It’s still a taboo topic so not many people understand this behaviour or even know about it.
You might have heard about someone in the classroom, work, or your neighbourhood, who self-harms or has struggled with this in the past. Or you might be the one doing self-harming and you would like to stop. Knowing you are not alone will help you find the confidence to speak out and seek professional help.
Maybe you know someone who is self-harming in some way. Or they have self-harmed in the past and now have to live with their self-harm scars. This person might be very close to you or they might be a colleague at work, an acquaintance, or a complete stranger.
Movies and books often help us understand human behaviour, their stories, and their hardships in a better, deeper, way. They can help us become more empathetic and accepting individuals.
14 Movies about Self-Harm
Below is a selection of films that delve deep into the topics of mental health, self-harm, and human behaviour.
Note: All of these movies should be considered TRIGGERING
A drama about six high school students. The movie deals with eating disorders, suicide, bullying, and rape.
A movie from 1999 that deals with mental illness and psychiatric wards.
A French film about self-harm and a woman who grows increasingly fascinated with her body after suffering a disfiguring accident.
A 2010 film about a depressed teenager who checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward and makes friends with people who change his outlook on life.
Two teenage girls follow some boys to Los Angeles. One of them suffers from self-harm.
A movie based on the true story of a young woman’s struggle with crippling depression.
A supervising staff member of a residential treatment facility is forced to deal with her past after a teenager comes to the facility with similar family life.
A drama from 2000 aims to expose the growing epidemic of self-harm.
A movie from 2000 about a young girl struggling with bulimia.
Suicide Room / Sala samobójców
A Polish film about self-harm and suicide. The story surrounds a boy who suffers humiliation at school and begins spending all of his time in a reality chat room – with relatively easy-to-find English subtitles.
A story of a young girl navigating adolescence while experimenting with self-harm, drugs, and sex.
A movie dealing with suicide – mentions self-harm.
A 2009 movie (based on the book of the same name) about a young woman who seems to have everything going for her, but decides to commit suicide.
A 2006 dark comedy about an afterlife specifically for people that committed suicide.
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If you are more of a book person, then check out these books about self-harm. I also share my personal experience with scars in my book where I talk about how I overcame being ashamed of my scars and found a surgery that helped me move on.
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- Movies about Self-Harm
