system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: why people who self harm find that it helps then manage their emotions short term.
gpt
It is an outlet for some people who are struggling. 

It also can be very focusing/calming for people with bipolar (mania/depression). Rushing thoughts and extreme emotions can be very difficult to handle if you're chemically imbalanced (even if you're not). 

Pain can also be pleasure or bring feeling to someone who is lost, depressed, and/or apathetic. If you feel you have no control over yourself much less your life, it can feel like something you choose and you control. It can be a bit like taking a drug or a shot of liquor. 

Source: worked in addiction and counseling.