Self Harm

What is self harm?

Self harm covers:

• Cutting and burning yourself
• Pulling hair out or picking skin
• Bruising yourself deliberately
• Taking an overdose of tablets
• Any other action which you do deliberately with the intention of hurting yourself

Why would anyone want to hurt themselves?

Everyone copes with situations differently – some people cry, others ring a friend or talk to one of their family, some 'bottle things’ up, others rant and rage until they feel better. Self harmers tend to be people who ‘bottle things up’ – who instead of getting their problems out into the open tend to ‘release’ the problem by hurting themselves, for example, those who cut themselves often describe it as ‘cutting out the badness/pain’. Instead of helping the situation, self harm may in fact lead to increased problems as in addition to keeping the original problem a secret, they now have to try to cover up their self harm.

Where can I go for help?

The first step in getting help is to acknowledge that you need help. Often it’s difficult for someone who’s used to ‘dealing with things themselves’ to ask for help. You might not feel comfortable talking to friends/family or might not feel you can bother them, they might have problems of their own – you wouldn’t want to burden them with yours, what would you say and when – ‘I can’t speak up in the middle of eating my tea’.

The important thing is to speak to someone you trust, someone who you know will listen to you, let you talk things through and can give you practical help. This person might be one of your friends, family or if you find it easier to talk to someone who doesn’t know much about you, your doctor or a counsellor.