Self Harm
Self-harm can be a direct response to a traumatic event that you may have had endured or an ongoing difficultly you are facing. You may not know how to deal with the feelings that arise from the event and begin to express those emotions by harming yourself. Self-harm can be a way of expressing feelings without words and a way to communicate when experiencing distress. Sometimes self-harm can be viewed as a form of punishment you feel you may deserve. It may be a way of expressing guilt that you might be internalising.
Self-harm is intentional damage or injury to yourself and is usually a coping mechanism and a way to deal with emotional or physical trauma. Self-harm is deliberate and can be an attempt to regain control or to be in control of some aspect of their life. The act of self-harm can sometimes become an obsession.
People can use self-harm as a coping mechanism at any age or time of their life. People who self-harm can be from any type of family anywhere in the world. For some it can be a response to something in their lives that they cannot handle emotionally or they cannot control.
There are various ways in which someone can actively harm themselves, these include cutting or scratching the skin with sharp objects, overheating or under heating, obsessively exercising, burning the skin, and substance abuse.
It can be very distressing if you or someone you love is self-harming. It might be a good idea to talk to your GP or contact a trained therapist or counsellor for help.
Useful Articles
Here's a list of articles on self-harming you might find helpful.
Figures show extent of self harm in English teenagers
A World Health Organisation survey reveals that a fifth of 15-year-olds in England say they self-harmed over the past year
Self-harm: why would she cut herself?
The shocking discovery that her smart, lively 15-year-old daughter was self-harming opened Anna Stone’s eyes to the scale of the problems afflicting our troubled teenagers.
Cutting and Self-Harm: How to Feel Better without Hurting Yourself
Self-harm can be a way of coping with problems. It may help you express feelings you can’t put into words, distract you from your life, or release emotional pain. Afterwards, you probably feel better—at least for a little while. But then the painful feelings return, and you feel the urge to hurt yourself again. If you want to stop cutting or self-harming but don’t know how, remember this: you deserve to feel better, and you can get there without hurting yourself.
BBC Radio 1: Self Harm
The reasons why people self-harm are often misunderstood. Reading our fact file will hopefully help you understand why you or someone you care about is doing it, and how to take steps to stop it.
Recommended Reading
The Life Changing Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Sarah Knight
This irreverent and practical book explains how to rid yourself of unwanted obligations, shame, and guilt - and give your f**ks instead to people and things that make you happy.
Poems and Quotes to Inspire You
Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must, because to do otherwise is to waste the most precious of gifts given so freely by God to all of us. So when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be easy and our hearts will not be broken.
Andy Ripley – England and Lions rugby legend, often described as one of the most colourful personalities in the history of English rugby
Helpful articles often written by our fabulous practitioners.