Self Harm

People who deliberately harm themselves are not automatically suicidal. Some people hurt themselves in order to cope with overwhelming emotions. They may have enormous feelings of guilt, shame and fear about what they are doing, yet feel powerless to stop. Many people who self harm suffer from eating disorder and a high percentage have been abused as children. Self injury may not be aimed at death; nevertheless it is not about attention seeking or game playing. Like suicidal feelings, self harming behaviour may express a powerful sense of despair and should be taken seriously. It has been estimated that 40% of those who take their own life have a history of self harm/suicide attempts. People who self harm often do die at their own hands, whether accidentally or deliberately.

Remember that the feelings of despair and isolation the sufferer feels are often similar to those of someone with suicidal thoughts, although someone self harming may not intend to kill themselves. Quite often in fact, deliberate self-harm is a means of preventing suicide in an individual, as it offers a strategy for coping, be it a maladaptive one.

Just being there for a self-harming friend and listening to their concerns could contribute to making them feel less isolated and frightened. At the same time, if you are in a close relationship with them you are likely to feel fearful, angry or guilty. You should find someone, whether a friend, a family member, a counsellor, your GP or one of the other contacts in this book, in whom you can confide your own worries.

Supporting someone in great distress is emotionally draining and you would be wise to suggest that your friend look for outside support, as well as having you there, to take some of the emotional burden off yourself. You may want to gently suggest that they contact the counselling service or their GP for professional help. Whatever happens, don’t feel that you’re alone and don’t be afraid to seek help.

Remember that however alone you feel, there are people who want to talk with you and who want to help

  • Let family or friends know what you are going through. They may be able to calm you down and offer support. Even though they may not be able to make you feel better straight away, talking things through may help to get some perspective and see your situation in a different light.
  • Call a crisis line to talk with someone right now. The Samaritans are available to talk 24 hours a day. Calls are charged at a local rate and in emergency they may be able to call you back. They can be contacted on 08457 90 90 90
    www.samaritans.org
    You can also email them on: jo@samaritans.org
  • Papyrus is a charity to prevent suicide for teenagers and young adults. They have a helpline which can be contacted on: 0800 068 41 41 Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm, then 7pm to 10pm Weekends 2pm to 5pm
    www.papyrus-uk.org

Other people you could talk to

  • a private therapist, counsellor, or psychologist
  • a school teacher
  • a religious or spiritual leader

Getting professional help

It might also be a good idea to get some professional support as soon as possible
  • Speak to your GP who may be able to help you access the support you need in a crisis. A GP should also be available to speak to you 24 hours a day. Call your surgery number to be put through to the out-of-hours service.
  •  If you are not registered with a GP try calling NHS direct on 0845 4647 who may be able to arrange for you to access some help.
  •  If you are under a Community Mental Health Team contact your Community Psychiatric Nurse. If they are not available, you could talk to the mental health professional on duty that day.
  • If you have access to a mental health crisis line call it as soon as possible.

If you have a plan to end of your life and feel you may act today then get help now:

Go to your local Accident and Emergency department or call 999

Things you can do to make yourself feel better

It can help to try activities which distract you from your distress and focus on the world around you. It is best to try things you enjoy which can be different for different people. However, here is a list of things which can help.

  • Try focussing on your breath for 10 minutes. This can relax you and take your mind off distressing thoughts.
  • Take a hot bath.
  • Eat your favourite food.
  • Watch a movie or TV.
  • Look through a magazine.
  • Get some fresh air and exercise. Go for a walk in a green space
  •  If you are finding it difficult to stop yourself from feeling distressed, try writing down your thoughts, how you could be helped, what you would like to change.
  • You may have a list of things which you can do to make yourself feel better in a crisis. If so go down your list and do each thing until you feel better.

http://www.rethink.org/living_with_mental_illness/coping_in_a_crisis/suicide_self_harm/suicide/if_you_are_thinking.html