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Suicide / Self Harm

Self-harm means to hurt or injure yourself on purpose.
Self-harm, or self-injury, describes a wide range of things people deliberately do to themselves that appear to cause some kind of physical hurt. Cutting the arms or the back of the legs is the most common form of self-harm, but it can take many forms, including burning, biting, hitting oneself, banging head onto walls, pulling out hair (trichotilliomania), inserting objects into the body or taking overdoses.
Some argue that risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking, taking drugs and having unprotected sex are also a form of self-harming.

Some of the reasons that young people may self-harm include:

  • Expressing or coping with emotional distress.
  • Trying to feel in control.
  • A way of punishing themselves.
  • Relieving unbearable tension.
  • A cry for help.
  • A response to intrusive thoughts.

Self-harm may be linked to bad experiences that are happening now, or in the past. Sometimes the reason is unknown. The reasons can also change over time and will not be the same for everybody.
The feelings or experiences that might be connected to self-harm include anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem, poor body image, gender identity issue, sexuality, abuse, school problems, bullying, social media pressure, family or friendship troubles and bereavement.

Over time, self-harming can become a habit that is hard to stop.

What to do about self harm? When to get help?

If you think you are affected by self-harm, talk to someone - a parent or relative you trust, perhaps a teacher, youth worker or wellbeing worker at school. If you don’t think you can confide in anyone, talk to your GP or a helpline. Self-harm can be a sign of other difficulties that you might need support with - such as low mood or anxiety.

You can get help and support that you might need which might mean being referred to CAMHS.
Have a look at some of our recommended resources, Apps and self help tips on our resources pages. A good starting point would be to try to put some strategies in place to help.