Burning: Self-harm or autistic stim?

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Nice, it sounds like there was a case of aspie there -- not understanding nonliteral meanings.

Tyri0n, that's our profession as a syndrome.

It is self harm but not the same thing as "cutting" and similar acts that accompany depressive disorders. In those cases the purpose of the self harm is to use physical pain to numb the emotional pain, but your case sounds more like BFRB (Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors). BFRB is OCD-like and associated with anxiety rather than depressive disorders. Usually the goal is not necessarily to cause pain but rather to achieve more of a calming trance-like state surrounding the activity that relieves anxiety. Often there is something that "feels good" about it, almost like a drug, and it becomes addictive. I've experienced both depression and anxiety related self harm and can say that they are very different. Though BFRB causes me some distress its definitely not as horrible as the depressive state that led to cutting.

It may be an autism thing but in your case, probably not.

Autism: self injure themselves when difficult to communicate with someone else, not to injure themselves.
Self-harm: a person feels life is chaotic and they are depressed thus find enjoyment in hurting themselves.

It depends, neurotypicals seem to prevent self harm like destroying an object but not all of them(as I explained in self-harm), so don't worry there. Schizophrenics mostly commit suicide because they have flat emotion affect. Autistic people injure themselves if there is poor communication in a social situation.

Burning oneself with a lighter

(definition)~~~~ the act(s) of causing acute focused external pain as an alternative to addressing deep internal(often hidden or suppressed) pain that may be generalized or very specific.

Tyri0n, I do not judge you. Each time you burn yourself, you have an opportunity to ask yourself "What internal pain am I not feeling/addressing that gives me the urge to harm my body?"

I think of Non-suicidal Self Injury as an understandable way of coping with deeply suppressed pain which is trying to push its way into the conscious mind. It is sooooo difficult to face that pain head on that some people will harm their body in order to keep the pain suppressed.

Oh and the peaceful/relaxed feeling is dissociation and endorphins not real peace.

Be well.