Self Harm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT5cr-HTTEQ

 

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.

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Self-harm can be through:

• cutting

• burning

• pinching

• biting

• scratching yourself, and

• pulling your hair out

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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.

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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

• Putting your hands into a bowl of ice cubes for a short time or rubbing ice on the part of your body you feel like injuring

• Using a red pen or lipstick to mark your body instead of cutting

• Finding a safe punching bag like some pillows

• Putting a rubber band around your wrist and flicking it

• Have a cold shower

• Sticking plasters on the parts of your body you want to injure.

 

Where to get help?

Speaking to a trusted person about how you are feeling; this could be family, friend, doctor, school nurse, teacher or counsellor. They will be able to support you with speaking to a specialist about self- harming.

CAMHS are here to support you, try contacting  http://www.northerntrust.hscni.net/services/child-adolescent-mental-health-service-camhs/  or by visiting Young Minds for more information.

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If you are experiencing the impact of self-harm it may be helpful to discuss this with a specialist, your GP or perhaps our school counsellor.  Please speak to Mrs Allen, your Head of Year or your Form Tutor to make a referral to the Counsellor.