I know self-harm can feel like a way to cope with pain or anxiety, but remember your body is a precious vessel, cherish it and nourish it and treat your body with kindness – you can find a healthier way to deal with how you’re feeling.
From The Source Team

Trigger Warning – some of the content below may trigger some unpleasant emotions.

What is self-harm?

Self-harm is when someone deliberately injures their body.

Self-harm is a way of coping with the emotional pain or distress, however it is only a temporary relief and it won’t stop the negative emotions from coming back.

Watch the Young Minds video, called ‘No Harm Done’, which tells of young people, parents and professionals experiences about the difficulties of dealing with self-harm.

Why do people self-harm?

People can self-harm for many different reasons, including:

Bullying
Difficulties at school
Problems at home
Being a victim of abuse
Low self-esteem
Or other emotional difficulties

Myths about self-harm:

Self-harm is just attention seeking - FALSE, self-harm is cry for help. Those who self-harm usually keep it secret and hidden.

Only teenage girls self-harm - FALSE, it is becoming common for older people and boys to self-harm.

If you self-harm you want to end your life - FALSE, many people who self-harm do so as a coping mechanism and do not want to end their life.