Self-harm

What is Self-harm?

Self-harm is a way of expressing very deep distress and something that some people do in order to cope with difficult situations and|or emotions. Self-harm is not just about cutting, but can be any form of self-inflicted physical harm or pain - including smoking, alcohol or drugs, eating too much or unhealthily.

Self-harm has been described as expressing an inner scream. 

People often don't know why they self-harm but use it to communicate what they can't put into words or even thoughts. It can provide a way of releasing painful emotions such as fear, sadness, loneliness, guilt or anger.

Why do people Self-harm?

There is no single reason why people self-harm, but they may be bottling up a lot of emotions or feeling under enormous pressure. If this is happening to you, please be assured that these feelings are understandable and you are not alone. Self-harm is more common than people think.

Young people often feel under great pressure from their family, school and peer group to conform to do well in school. If they don't feel there is any chance they can live up to these expectations, even high achievers may express their anger through aggression and destructiveness. Others may express feelings of powerlessness and lack of self-worth in the same way.

Try our Self-harm quiz

How do I get Help?

With the aid of plenty of support, you can learn to cope with the pain, anger and rage which you experience and move on with your life.

The most important thing is to start to talk to someone you can trust. This could be a friend, family member, carer, social worker, youth worker, doctor, school nurse, professional counsellor, psychologist, psychotherapist, teacher, or religious leader. Or phone our information line on 01786 849447.

Any coping tips?

Try some of these:
15 Minute Rule: If you feel the urge to self-harm, hold off for 15 minutes, If you then still have the urge, try putting it off for another 15 minutes. See how long you can go without giving in - you have the control.

Drawing: Draw random patterns or anything that comes to mind. Even scribbling really hard on a piece of paper can help.

Elastic band: Wear an elastic band on your wrist and twang it whenever you feel like self-harming.

Calendar: Keep a calendar for self-harm. At the same time each day mark whether you are self-harm free. At the end of the week, look back at how many days you managed without self-harming and try to beat that the following week. If you get a month without self-harming, buy yourself a treat to celebrate.

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