Self-harm

Self-harm is when you choose to cause pain on yourself in some way. Problems can build up to a point where you feel that you are struggling to cope. Young people often self-harming feels like a release and begin to use it as a coping mechanism to deal with their worries.

What does it look like?

Self-harm can be through:

• cutting
• burning
• pinching
• biting
• scratching yourself, and
• pulling your hair out

Self-harm can also be through:

• overdosing
• making yourself sick or ill
• abusing alcohol or drugs

When does it happen?

You may self-harm because you feel anxious, depressed or stressed and feel you can’t turn to friends/family for support or help. There are lots of other reasons young people self-harm, these are sometimes called ‘triggers’.

• bullying
• changes at home
• stress at school
• problems with friends
• feeling lonely
• bereavement
• struggles with food
• confidence issues
• abuse (verbal, physical or sexual)

What can I do?

When you feel anxious or upset, do something you enjoy or try to think about other things can be a way to help you stop hurting yourself. If you can hang on in there, and resist the urge to self-harm for just 30 seconds to begin with, you can start to break the habit.

You could try:

• Phoning a friend
• Listening to music, drawing or reading
• Writing down your feelings in a diary
• Breathing slowly, in through the nose and out through the mouth
• Going for a walk or a run, dancing, exercising or playing sport
• Focusing on objects around you and thinking about what they look, sound, smell, taste and feel like.

If you still want to hurt yourself:

• Put your hands into a bowl of ice cubes for a short time or rub ice on the part of your body you feel like injuring
• Use a red pen or lipstick to mark your body instead of cutting
• Find a safe punching bag like some pillows
• Put a rubber band around your wrist and try flicking it
• Have a cold shower
• Stick plasters on the parts of your body you want to injure