All of that stuff fits together. The various ways of hurting yourself, whether visible or not, are ways to cope with feelings, or maybe of reenacting past trauma. You might want to read Women Who Hurt Themselves, by Dusty Miller. I read that book recently, and found it very enlightening. The author uses case histories to demonstrate what is behind various things that we do to hurt ourselves, including cutting, substance abuse, eating disorders, and others, as well as how these things can be overcome through therapy.

<font color=orange>"If a light beckons to you, follow it. If it leads you into the quagmire, you'll probably find your way out of it again; but if you don't follow it, you'll be plagued for the rest of your life by the thought that perhaps it was your star." Friedrich Hebbet</font color=orange>