Understanding Self-Harm

"Understanding self-harm"


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This booklet can also be viewed as a non-printable pdf file and purchased from the online shop.

What is self-harm?
Why do people harm themselves?
Who is most likely to self-harm?
Is self-harm an attempt to commit suicide?
Is self-harming behaviour attention-seeking?
What triggers it?
What can I do to stop self-harming?
What help can I get?
How can friends and family help?
References
Useful organisations
Further reading

'I belong to a women's self-harm support group. The group was the start of changing my life. The encouragement and support from both has given me the strength and courage to continue my life, and I now value myself. I still self-harm, but nowhere near as much as I used to. By talking about it, I am learning to deal with my feelings.'

'I am a survivor of both sexual abuse and self-injury. I no longer self-injure, but it has been a long struggle to try to acknowledge and work through emotions that once felt overwhelming in their power.'

'Self-harm involves all of us on some level. We may all punish, distract or numb ourselves, as a way of dealing with difficult f"

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posted by Robert Heard at 2:28 PM