A self-inflicted wound (SIW) or self-inflicted injury (SII) is a physical injury done to oneself. This may occur in contexts including:
Suicide or suicide attempt Self-harm (non-suicidal self-injury) As a result of an organic brain syndrome Pursuit of an ulterior motive, including: To avoid military service Self-surgery, including: Autoenucleation (often overlapping with self-harm) Self-inflicted caesarean section Self-castration Body modification, including for ritual purposes Autoeroticism
While some sources use the terms to include accidental injury, others cast "self-inflicted" in opposition to "accidental".
The term is also used metaphorically, akin to "shooting oneself in the foot".
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