Wow there are a lot of good inputs in here.

Related to the conversation, here are my experiences.

I initially started for 'fun', but I realized I had a history of self-harm throughout all of my childhood. The frustrated punch-to-the-head kind, and then I was just generally destructive of things around me when I stopped doing that.

I thought I started because I was bored, or for fun. That's definitely why I chose to start, my thought was 'I'm bored, let's do this'. Blood was definitely a huge factor of it. So were the scars. I was mesmerized by being able to control my own scarring, and I had fond memories of scars on my legs as a kid that had long since faded and I wanted to reclaim some of that back. It took maybe a few months but after a session I finally felt the endorphin rush. It was both liberating and scary. Then I gained a romantic interest and wanted to stop because it was my little secret, and I loved having that secret. I was scared of how other people would react.

With my love-interest's help, after she found out, I quit for a year and 4 months. It was tough fighting the addiction sometimes, but pretty easy because I didn't consciously use it as a coping mechanism. Just as a thing to do.

I relapsed when I was having friend and love-interest (different person) problems to a distressing degree. Ever since then it has been a hellacious battle. When I get overwhelmingly frustrated I don't even think, I go for something sharp. The images and thoughts bombard me, and because I don't want to anymore it's really distressing. I have realized how really addicting it is for me, how much of my free-time it takes to care for the damage done (which was one of my other favorite parts).

After a few years of reflecting I have seen that.. For me I was bored, but I also wanted to practice having control, and I wanted to practice taking care of myself. When I started I was struggling with school and personal life more than I realized at the time. No one else could help me to heal my pains or solve my problems, and to me this seems to have been a symbolic way to do those things on my own.

So I think it's possible, I also think that there might be more to it. It can be more difficult to override you're brain's natural defense mechanism against damage and pain, so you might have to already be in a place where there is so much going on (even if it doesn't feel like it) to dampen those defense mechanisms. Most people get too scared or just can't even when they want to because their brain kicks in for preserving the body.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.