Understanding self harm

Self-harm (also known as self-injury) is when you inflict physical harm on yourself, usually in secret and often without anyone else knowing.

orange_white_beads courtesy of lalagoesfishing on FlickrThis can be cutting, burning, biting or hitting your body, pulling out hair or scratching and picking at sores on your skin.

Self-harm is not necessarily a suicide attempt.

Engaging in self-harm may not mean someone wants to die. Most commonly, self-harm is a behaviour that is used to cope with difficult or painful feelings.

Why do people self-harm?
People who deliberately harm themselves have often had tough experiences or difficult relationships in their lives. You may have:

been bullied or discriminated against
lost someone close to you, such as a parent, brother, sister or friend
broken up with a boyfriend or girlfriend
been physically or sexually abused
experienced a serious illness or disability that affects the way you feel about yourself
experienced problems with family, school or peer groups.
Self-harm may be used as a way to cope with experiences and the strong feelings associated with them. Self-harm may:

provide a way to express difficult or hidden feelings: it’s not uncommon to feel numb or empty as a result of overwhelming feelings, and engaging in self-harm may provide a temporary sense of feeling again or a way to express anger, sadness, grief or hurt

be a way of communicating to people that you need some support: when you feel unable to use words or any other way to do so. It can be a way of proving to yourself that you’re not invisible

provide you with a feeling of control: you might feel self-harm is one way to have a sense of control over your life, feelings, or body. This can be the case, especially if you feel other things in your life are out of control

Self-harm can bring an immediate sense of relief, but it is only a temporary solution. It can also cause permanent scarring and damage to your body if you injure nerves.

Psychologically, it may be associated with a sense of guilt, depression, low self-esteem or self-hatred along with a tendency to isolate yourself from others.

Finding help
Although it may seem hard, but reaching out to someone can help you work through some of the reasons for harming yourself. Ultimately, if might help you find healthier, more positive alternatives for alleviating pain you feel inside.

It may take time, but remember you can move to a happier and healthier outlook.

Speaking to someone about your self-harm may be hard so it’s particularly important to trust the person you are speaking with.

Starting the conversation
If you are having difficulty speaking about what you’re going through, try to start sentences such as ‘Right now, I’m feeling…’, ‘I think it started when…’, ‘I’ve been feeling this for…’, ‘My sleep has been…’, ‘Lately school/work/college has been…’.

Seeking help
It may be necessary to talk to someone like a counsellor, psychologist, or psychiatrist to help you to work through some of the reasons why you are harming yourself and to find alternative strategies for alleviating the pain you feel inside.

Like any relationship, building trust with your counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist can take time so you need to find someone you feel comfortable with. This may mean seeing several people before finding one you ‘click’ with.

>>What to expect from your first counselling session

Family support
If there is a family member you feel comfortable telling, it may be helpful to have their support in finding a counsellor that’s right for you. The person you feel comfortable telling will already be worried about you and be relieved at having the opportunity to listen and help.

Remember, if you don’t get a positive response, this is not because you’ve done something wrong. It’s more likely that the person you told may not know how to respond or may not understand much about self-harm.

Don’t give up!
Either try again or maybe speak to someone else who you think you might receive a more supportive response from.

If talking about it with someone is too overwhelming, an alternative is to email or write down what you want to say. Otherwise, a first step might be to talk to Samaritans by emailing [email protected] or calling 116 123. Samaritans provide 24 hour confidential support to anyone struggling to cope.

If you or a friend are harming yourselves, take care of the injuries caused. If necessary, seek medical help through your GP or, if it’s serious, a hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.

In most situations, doctors and other health professionals must keep information given to them by patients or clients confidential. However, they are required to report information they receive if they have serious concerns about your (or someone else’s) safety. See confidentiality.

How to cope without harming yourself
As well as getting some support, it may also be necessary to create a list of alternative strategies to self-harm for managing your emotions.

If you’re feeling like you want to harm yourself there are a number of things you can do to try to distract yourself until the feelings become more manageable. If you can, make sure you are around other people and remove any sharp objects from the area.

Watch this video, Cotton, based on a girl’s story of learning to cope without harming herself.

Ideas for releasing energy or feelings
It’s difficult to get strong evidence of what works for people to stop self-harming. What works for one, may not work for another. Here are some things you can try to cope with overwhelming emotions.

Choose to put off harming yourself until you’ve spoken to someone else or waited for 15 minutes (and see if you can extend it for another 15 minutes beyond that, continue to do it again and so on until the feeling passes).
Write in a journal – you might like to use an online journal.
Exercise – go for a run or walk in the park to use up excess energy.
Play video games – this may be a good way to distract yourself and may help until the anxiety passes.
Yell or sing at the top of your lungs, on your own or to music. You might do this into a pillow if you don’t want other people in the house to hear.
Relaxation techniques – activities like yoga or meditation are often helpful in reducing anxiety.
Cry – crying is a healthy and normal way (not weak or stupid) to express your sadness or frustrations.
Talk to someone – talk with a trusted friend or with the Samaritans (freephone 116 123 or email [email protected])
Read “My green box” and ” A letter to self-harm” two personal stories about learning to cope with urges to self injure.
Take care of yourself
Eat well, exercise and be kind to yourself. While not a solution in itself, doing all these things contribute to a higher sense of self-worth.

They can increase mood stability, and generally create a better sense of wellbeing making you feel happier, on the outside and inside.