If someone self harms for attention

[Mycherry]

And in their words they do can this still develop into a mental illness

Harming yourself for attention is a mental illness. Why do they want the attention to this level?

If someone is self harming for attention, that sounds exactly like a mental health illness.

Self-harming for attention isn’t someone who’s mentally well to start off with, so what do you mean by “develop into a mental illness”?

It's a sign they are mentally unwell surely. Even if they doing it to manipulate

I would argue that they had a sort of mental illness or at least is hurting emotionally in order to use self harm as an attention seeking behaviour.

You’re not really giving enough information to comment.
Is this a vulnerable child or adult?
What is it they’re lacking/asking for? Is there an unmet need.
Doing something for attention has very negative connotations but it shouldn’t. Attending needing/seeking care might feel more appropriate.

I agree with everyone else. People who have good mental health don’t deliberately hurt themselves. There are healthier ways to get attention.

If they are self-harming for attention, then someone needs to get off their arse and give them some attention!

Young people often self-harm “for attention”, which is another way of saying that they are desperate for connection, comfort and somebody to help them out of the terrible emotional pain they are in. ALL self-harm should be taken seriously. Healthy people do not do it.

They are already mentally unwell whatever the reason.

More context needed @Mycherry

Agree with the PPs. This person is asking for help but does have the tools to do it in a healthy way.

Outdated language
Known to professionals as ‘care seeking’ not ‘attention seeking’ behaviour.
Happy, stable, mentally robust, resilient people do not engage in care seeking behaviours.

I think sometimes it's easier to say you did something for attention rather than admit you did it as a cry for help because you are in mental distress or mentally ill. Someone who is well or not having a mental crisis would not be doing any harm to themselves for any reason. Someone who really needs help and support does.

If you replace ‘attention’ with ‘attachment’ and therefore have ‘attachment seeking’ rather than ‘attention seeking’ you can see things very differently. I very much prefer the second as it highlights the unmet need.

Definitely need more context.

If this is your child, then the comments given so far regarding attachment, connection etc apply.

Not so much though with adults.

Depends on the circumstances.

In the same way that ‘all behaviour is communication’, all ‘attention seeking’ is ‘help seeking’.

I self harmed in my teens and early 20s (and once in my 30s). It was considered attention seeking. And yes it was - I was desperate for some attention to be paid to the pain I was in.

Attachment difficulties/disorder don’t just disappear in adults.

It is a mental illness. Attention seeking is another way of saying a cry for help or not having their needs for connection met. It does need to be handled carefully so that the person finds healthier ways to get their needs met/get attention. They probably need therapy now and support to develop healthy relationships.

If someone does that for attention then they probably have valid reason for needing attention. People don’t self harm for no reason.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand.

Did you mean to say “appear” rather than “disappear”?

No I meant disappear.
Your post read to me like you didn’t think attachment and connection were an issue for adults. Apologies if that’s not what you meant.
I was saying that attachment issues can and often will continue into adulthood and cause huge difficulties.

give them more attention when they aren’t harming.
less attention when they are?

This is incredibly stupid advice.

I'm a self harmer.

Now it's very hidden, but when I was a teen it was overt, visible and sometimes for attention (deliberately so). Sometimes it was for a wide variety of other reasons.

Now it's never for attention and I make sure it's never visible. A lot of the other reasons are the same though: self punishment; self loathing; to bring myself back when I dissociate; unbeatable fury at others.

It's all self harm and all a mental health issue either way. It was no better when I did it for attention than loathing or sensory seeking. It's quite an addictive behaviour (I've done it for 23 years now, but less as an adult than a teen) and I'd recommend rapid and early support before it's a firm habit.

No mentally well person harms themself. People harm themselves for many reasons. All equally valid and concerning.