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The following page has information about self-harm.
“Self-harm includes a broad range of behaviour that causes injury, such as cutting, burning or scratching the skin and non-fatal overdosing. Self-harm is often a coping mechanism for managing psychological and emotional distress and is not in itself an illness” (SAMH, 2017)
Children and young people report that they self-harm for a variety of different reasons. Self-harm can have different meanings for different people and everybody’s experience is different. No two people will self-harm for the exact same reasons. Sometimes people self-harm:
Most people who self-harm do so in order to help themselves cope with intense emotions and stress, and they often hope for an improvement in their situation.
There are a lot of misconceptions about self-harm and self-harm can be heavily stigmatised. This can mean that people don’t always talk about this.
Regardless of the length of time or how many times self-harming behaviours have occurred, they should never be ignored. If you are self-harming it is important to find a way to let someone know you are looking for help. Telling someone you trust is often the first step in helping you to break the cycle of self-harm. If you are supporting someone who is self-harming, try and listen to them and help them get some help from a trusted adult like a teacher, youth worker or a school counsellor.
There is a misconception that all people who self-harm are suicidal. People who self-harm may experience thoughts of suicide, but for most people, self-harm is a way of managing their pain. However the relationship between self-harm and suicide is complicated, so it is important to ask someone who is self-harming if they are also thinking about suicide to ensure they can get the right kind of support.
There are a lot of resources available for you to talk to someone about what you are experiencing.
