Other Forms of Self-Harm in Eating Disorders Recognizing the Overlap Between Disordered Eating and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

When we think of self-harm, we often picture behaviors like cutting or burning — physical acts of injuring the body to cope with emotional pain. But for many individuals with eating disorders, self-harm can take other forms — often hidden, socially normalized, or misunderstood.

In fact, many eating disorder behaviors are self-harming in nature, even when they’re not labeled that way.