Don't wait for depression to go away on its own Sometimes children and teens are unsure if their experiences were sexual abuse Everyone has the right to be free from bullying Young people can get caught up in food extremes that aren't healthy So what can you do about anxiety?
So what can you do about these thoughts? It is perfectly normal to question your sexuality Sometimes my thoughts don't seem real Having trouble getting along with friends and family Hotline: I have been secretly cutting myself.
This is not about blame, but rather about communicating and dealing with problems in better ways that can benefit the whole family. Authors: Melinda Smith, M.
Whitlock, J. Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescents. PLOS Medicine, 7 5 , e Journal of Adolescent Health, 52 4 , — Morgan, C. Incidence, clinical management, and mortality risk following self harm among children and adolescents: Cohort study in primary care. BMJ, , j Aylett, E. Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice — a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Conditions for Further Study. American Psychiatric Association. Self-Harm — Includes treatment and things you can do to help yourself. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
How Can I Stop Cutting? In the U. Alternatives Self-Abuse Finally Ends — Organization dedicated to helping people who self-harm, with a helpline at UK: Mind Infoline — Information on self-harm and a helpline to call at or text Canada: Kids Help Phone — A helpline for kids and teens to call for help with any issue, including cutting and self-injury at Australia: Kids Helpline — A helpline for kids and young adults to get help with issues including cutting and self-harm.
Call 55 India: Helpline India — Provides information and support to those with mental health concerns in India. Call or This holiday season alone, millions of people will turn to HelpGuide for free mental health guidance and support. So many people rely on us in their most difficult moments. Can we rely on you? All gifts made before December 31 will be doubled.
Cookie Policy. Learn about self-injury and how you can feel better without harming yourself. What is self-harm? Injuring yourself on purpose by making scratches or cuts on your body with a sharp object — enough to break the skin and make it bleed — is called cutting. Cutting is a type of self-injury , or SI.
People who cut often start cutting in their young teens. Some continue to cut into adulthood. People may cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs, or bellies. Some people self-injure by burning their skin with the end of a cigarette or lighted match. When cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars or marks.
People who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks and sometimes no one else knows. It can be hard to understand why people cut themselves on purpose. Cutting is a way some people try to cope with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure , or upsetting relationship problems.
They may be dealing with feelings that seem too difficult to bear or bad situations they think can't change. Some people cut because they feel desperate for relief from bad feelings. People who cut may not know better ways to get relief from emotional pain or pressure. Some people cut to express strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing, or emptiness. There are other ways to cope with difficulties, even big problems and terrible emotional pain.
The help of a mental health professional might be needed for major life troubles or overwhelming emotions. For other tough situations or strong emotions, it can help put things in perspective to talk problems over with parents, other adults, or friends.
Getting plenty of exercise also can help put problems in perspective and help balance emotions. But people who cut may not have developed ways to cope. Or their coping skills may be overpowered by emotions that are too intense. When emotions don't get expressed in a healthy way, tension can build up — sometimes to a point where it seems almost unbearable. Cutting may be an attempt to relieve that extreme tension.
For some, it seems like a way of feeling in control. The urge to cut might be triggered by strong feelings the person can't express — such as anger, hurt, shame, frustration, or alienation. People who cut sometimes say they feel they don't fit in or that no one understands them. A person might cut because of losing someone close or to escape a sense of emptiness.
Cutting might seem like the only way to find relief or express personal pain over relationships or rejection. People who cut or self-injure sometimes have other mental health problems that contribute to their emotional tension. Cutting is sometimes but not always associated with depression, bipolar disorder , eating disorders, obsessive thinking, or compulsive behaviors.
It can also be a sign of mental health problems that cause people to have trouble controlling their impulses or to take unnecessary risks.
Some people who cut themselves have problems with drug or alcohol abuse. This is a common misunderstanding. Most people try to hide their self-harm behaviours from family and friends. Some people may self-harm to communicate to others how they are feeling. But this might not be the only reason behind the self-harm. You may self-harm if you dissociate, so that you can feel real.
Dissociation means that you feel like you are detached from yourself, or from reality. You may self-harm to punish yourself for feelings or behaviours that you think are your fault. This is a common reason why people self-harm. You may not understand why you feel like this. You may not be able to link your feelings to something that has happened.
You may punish yourself through displaced anger. For example, you may be very angry towards a person or about a situation. But you are unable to tell the person how you are feeling or sort the situation out. Whatever the reason you self-harm, there is support available to help you stop or reduce self-harm. See further down this page for more information.
Many people self-harm to deal with distress. You may self-harm often or only every now and again. Some people may dig their fingernail into their thumb to distract themselves from physical pain or fear. But this is a one-off event. They will stop when the dentist steps away from them.
Self-harm only provides temporary relief because the underlying issue is still there. The earlier you get help, the easier it will be to learn other ways of coping and work towards recovery. People who have self-harmed for many years can find it difficult to stop and it can take a lot of work. You may self-harm to deal with difficulties you face in life, rather than a way of trying to end it. You might feel that you are the only one who self-harms.
But there are ways to reach out to people to ask for help. Sharing your experiences can help your recovery. Or make a video or audio recording for them. Decide who you want to tell first. Choose someone you feel comfortable with.
Talking to someone else can help you figure out how you feel about it and if you want to tell others. For example, you may want to tell:. Think about what you are going to say before you begin your conversation. It can help if you know what you want to say and how you want to say it. You could try practicing saying it out loud to hear how it will sound to someone else. Or you could record yourself saying it on a device such as your phone and listening back to it. Whoever you tell might ask you questions.
Think about the questions they may ask and how you may answer their questions. Remember, you only have to tell them information that you are comfortable to share. Try to find the right time to tell someone. Even something as simple as being hungry or tired can make it hard to focus and deal with information. Choose a time that suits you both. Think about where you are going to tell them. Pick a place where you feel safe and are both comfortable.
Let them know. You might tell them because:. Other people may struggle to understand why you self-harm, even some professionals. Be patient with them.
This will help them find the best way to support you. If you want professional help to manage and recover from self-harm you can make an appointment with your GP. You may find it difficult to ask for help. Be honest about why you self-harm. People self-harm for different reasons. This will help professionals to find the right support for you. There are different treatment options, so other treatments might be better for you. Your GP can support you in the short-term management of self-harm.
They will help you, regardless of whether you have a mental illness. Your GP will listen and discuss with you the best treatment options for you. What treatment should I be offered?
Your GP may talk through with you ways to manage your self-harm, such as by making lifestyle changes. They may also suggest you join a support group.
They can also give you advice and treatment for minor injuries. But medication may be offered to you to help with symptoms of other mental health conditions. Doctors will think about risk of overdose when prescribing medication. Referral to specialist mental health team Your GP may think about referring you to a specialist mental health team if:.
Mental health services may become responsible for your mental health treatment and care. If you need long-term management for your self-harm, your GP may offer you an assessment with your local community mental health team CMHT. This assessment will be done to help you receive specialist support to reduce or stop your self-harm.
Someone who self-harms a lot might have complex needs. Your care plan explains what support you need to manage and recover from your self-harm. This should contain information such as:. You should have a say about what is written into your care plan. Your family or carers should also be involved if you agree. What is a risk management plan? Risk management should be part of your care plan.
It should look at:. A crisis plan gives you steps to take in a crisis such as a number to call or distraction techniques to try. The aim of a crisis plan is to think about what support you need when you are in crisis.
Your mental health team should think about giving you 3 — 12 sessions of talking therapy to help you to stop self-harming. These sessions may start by your therapist helping you to find different ways of coping with painful emotions. Your therapist should work with you to help you find the reasons why you self-harm. Your therapy should be tailored to your needs. There are many different types of therapy.
You may be offered:. Ending care with the specialist mental health team When your treatment and care is due to end professionals should:. You should first speak to your doctor about your treatment. You could ask what other treatments you could try. Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have.
You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion. Advocates help you to deal with and overcome issues that you have.
They are independent from the NHS and free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard. There are 3 types of advocates that might be able to help if you are unhappy about your treatment.
They give information and support to patients and can help you to resolve issues. You can find your local PALS through this website link: www.
This is where your concerns are investigated in more detail. If you go to hospital because of self-harm healthcare staff should urgently assess your mental health.
The assessment is to understand your:. Can I just get treatment for my injuries? What is a risk assessment? A risk assessment should be completed with you to think about any risks. In hospital staff may want to do a risk assessment with you by going through a questionnaire with you.
Healthcare professionals will look at different things to work out risk using a scale. Some of the things healthcare professionals will look at are around the following.
What is a needs assessment? This will look at your needs to help you to manage and recover from selfharm. It should look at both your mental health and social care needs. It will be completed with a mental health specialist. You should work together with the specialist to agree your needs.
They should then be put in a written plan.
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