It is difficult for many people to understand – that anyone would want to hurt themselves physically, that is, cut, burn or wound their bodies. That this is done to alleviate mental distress may seem even harder to understand. Inflicting pain to relieve pain? Is that what’s happening?“Yes, for some people, harming themselves, creating physical pain, harming themselves can be a way of managing extreme emotional upset,” says Beverley Cummins, Lead Therapist with Pieta- the suicide and self-harm prevention charity- in their Galway, Tuam and Ballina centres.