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Resources/Information:Self Harm
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Ok, seeing as there's been much discussion lately over self harm, i thought it might be helpful to comply a thread of resources and information for thos suffering from these issues, or those that want to find out information
Self Harm
What is Self Harm
Self-harm is a way of expressing very deep distress. Often, people don't know why they self-harm. It's a means of communicating what can't be put into words or even into thoughts and has been described as an inner scream. Afterwards, people feel better able to cope with life again, for a while.
Self-harm is a broad term. People may injure or poison themselves by scratching, cutting or burning their skin, by hitting themselves against objects, taking a drug overdose, or swallowing or putting other things inside themselves. It may also take less obvious forms, including taking stupid risks, staying in an abusive relationship, developing an eating problem, such as anorexia or bulimia, being addicted to alcohol or drugs, or simply not looking after their own emotional or physical needs.
These responses may help you to cope with feelings that threaten to overwhelm you; painful emotions, such as rage, sadness, emptiness, grief, self-hatred, fear, loneliness and guilt. These can be released through the body, where they can be seen and dealt with. Self-harm may serve a number of purposes at the same time. It may be a way of getting the pain out, of being distracted from it, of communicating feelings to somebody else, and of finding comfort. It can also be a means of self-punishment or an attempt to gain some control over life. Because they feel ashamed, afraid, or worried about other people's reactions, people who self-harm often conceal what they are doing rather than draw attention to it.
It's worth remembering that most people behave self-destructively at times, even if they don't realise it. Perfectly ordinary behaviour, such as smoking, eating and drinking too much, or working long hours, day after day, can all be helping people to numb or distract themselves and avoid being alone with their thoughts and feelings.
(source:http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+self-harm.htm)
Why Do People Self Harm?
People who harm themselves generally have
a) Issues or traumas that they have not accepted or resolved or
b) Intense emotional pain/ feelings
Types of intense emotional pain or feelings can be:
•
Anger
•
Self-Hatred – Often people who self harm feel bad about themselves, which may result in low self-esteem and lack of confidence.
•
Despair
•
Fear or Anxiety
•
Guilt
•
Sadness
•
Emptiness
•
Feeling unreal- This can happen when a person feels so out of touch with everything that they feel numb and alone but by harming themselves they feel more alive
These feelings can be present on their own or may be due to a trauma, which may be in the past, or at present such as:
•
Divorce / Relationship problems
•
Sexual or Physical
•
Loss
•
Physical illness
•
Bullying
•
Neglect
•
Pressure
(source:http://beehive.thisisessex.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=5423&PageID=27479)
Who is More Likely to Self Harm?
* Self-injurers come from all walks of life and all economic brackets. People who harm themselves can be male or female; gay, straight, or bi; Ph.D.s or high-school dropouts; rich or poor; from any country in the world. Some people who SI manage to function effectively in demanding jobs; they are teachers, therapists, medical professionals, lawyers, professors, engineers. Some are on disability. Some are highly-achieving high-school students.
* Their ages range from early teens to early 60s, maybe older and younger. In fact, the incidence of self-injury is about the same as that of eating disorders, but because it's so highly stigmatized, most people hide their scars, burns, and bruises carefully. They also have excuses to pull out when someone asks about the scars (there are a lot of really vicious cats around).
* People who deliberately harm themselves are no more psychotic than people who drown their sorrows in a bottle of vodka are. It's a coping mechanism, just not one that's as understandable to most people and as accepted by society as alcoholism, drug abuse, overeating, anorexia, bulimia, workaholism, smoking cigarettes, and other forms of problem avoidance are.
* Self-injury is VERY RARELY a failed suicide attempt. People who inflict physical harm on themselves are often doing it in an attempt to maintain psychological integrity -- it's a way to keep from killing themselves. They release unbearable feelings and pressures through self-harm, and that eases their urge toward suicide. Some people who self-injure do later attempt suicide, but they almost always use a method different from their preferred method of self-harm. Self-injury is a maladaptive coping mechanism, a way to stay alive. Unfortunately, some people don't understand this and think that involuntary commitment is the only way to deal with a person who self-harms. Hospitalization, especially forced, can do more harm than good.
(source:http://www.m-a-h.net/library/selfinjury/article-si-facts.htm)
Is Self Harming Merely Attention Seeking?
No. There may be a minority of people who do self harm for attention, but it would be unfair to tar all self harmers with the same brush.
Because it can be hard to understand, healthcare professionals, friends and relatives sometimes mistakenly regard people who self-harm with mistrust or fear and see their behaviour as attention seeking and manipulative. If someone you know self-harms, you may feel helpless when faced with their wounds, and your own feelings and fears about the situation may cause you to blame them instead of supporting them. Bear in mind they may be using the only way they can to communicate their plight and to get the attention, care and comfort they need. However upsetting it may be for you, it doesn't necessarily mean this is their intention. Whether people have deep wounds or slight injuries, the problem they represent should always be taken very seriously. The size of the wound isn't a measure of the size of the conflict inside.(source:http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+self-harm.htm)
Links
elf HarmStatistics
•
The group with the highest rates of self-harm are young women aged 15-19 years. In all age groups, females are more likely to self-harm than males.
•
elf-harm can involve different degrees of risk to life, ranging from a wish to die through to self-harm being used as a coping strategy which allows the person to carry on living. The acts can range from high degree of seriousness resulting in coma, irreversible damage, need for intensive care, through to physical injuries which do not require medical attention.
•
Acts of self-harm, particularly habitual self-injury such as self-cutting, are often seen by others as manipulative or attention-seeking. However those who do self-harm have usually lived through very difficult and painful experiences and describe their behaviour as a way of coping with overwhelming feelings and gaining a sense of control.
•
Several studies have shown that approximately one out of every 100 people who are seen at hospital for self-harm will die by suicide within a year of the self-harm. This is a suicide risk approximately 100 times that of the general population.
•
Rates of self-harm in the UK are among the highest in Europe at 400 per 100,000 per year. self-harm rose dramatically from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, then decreased in the early 1980s but rose again by the end of the decade.
•
Women are more likely than men to self-harm, however whereas women once showed two or three times the male rate, recent increases in self-harm by men have changed the female to male ratio to 1.6:1.
•
Self Harm is not the same as Self Injury. The former includes minor drug overdoses and parasuicide (attepmted suicide) where as the latter does not
•
Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in deliberate self-harm patients.
•
The death of a major public figure can influence rates of self-harm, although there is not enough research to understand exactly what factors are involved.
•
Approximatley 1 in 10 teenages self injure
Vast List of distractions
Nowmerged into one thread
Can be found here
Edit: Please feel free to reply if you have something that you think needs adding, but if you want to discuss self harm then please do so in the existing thread(otherwise people probably won't see this 1st post if they have loads of others to wade through!) Thanks
Edit (again): A 2 year inquiry into self harm has been concluded and a link to the report can be found in this post
Edit (yet again): as of 17/05/06 links updated and new "coping methods" section added
Stay Safe
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second sentence on statistics you talk about elf-harm...
apart from that a really well written piece on self harm...
apart from that a really well written piece on self harm...
'Giving up' self harming isn't easy. It isn't simply a case of promising yourself, or someone else that you'll never do it again. Its a coping mechanism and as a result, stopping self harming is as difficult, if not harder, than stopping smoking or drinking alcohol. There is not a quick fix solution. It can take a person several months, years, or they may never completely stop deliberately harming their body.
The best way to stop self harming, or to help a friend/family member to stop is to seek professional help. Support from friends/family is needed but usually, it is very difficult to stop self harming completely alone. In the same way that smokers and alcoholics get help from the NHS there is also help available for people who self harm. This help can be in numerous ways, depending on what the person wants, their age and location. It can consist of:
* regular therapy or counselling sessions
* check ups with your GP to oversee injuries
* access to medication which may help you deal with things related to self harm, such as depression
* stays in hospital if you're feeling 'unsafe' and very self destructive
* or just simply a source of information and someone to talk to.
The majority of people who self harm keep their injuries a secret and are ashamed of this. Therefore confiding in someone- a friend, parent, teacher or health worker can be extremely traumatic and seen as a terrifying prospect. However, speaking to someone else does help and some people find it easier to explain in a letter, poem or email instead of face to face.
It can also be upsetting for friends and family to know their loved one is self harming and it is necessary that they look after themselves too. Usually, friends/family aren't trained professionals and consequently, can feel overwhelmed trying to support someone who self harms. Remember, professionals are trained to deal with self harm and will come into contact with it regularly- friends aren't.
Ultimately, people do recover from self harming behaviours. The urge may still be there but the way a person deals with the urge changes. At times it can be difficult to believe that things will get better, but they will if you're willing to make that change. Sometimes people don't want to give up self harming, and that’s ok, as it might not be an ideal time in their lives to concentrate on stopping. A person can not simply be told they must stop, it usually needs to be a conscious decision, but it can be done and it is never 'too late'.
The best way to stop self harming, or to help a friend/family member to stop is to seek professional help. Support from friends/family is needed but usually, it is very difficult to stop self harming completely alone. In the same way that smokers and alcoholics get help from the NHS there is also help available for people who self harm. This help can be in numerous ways, depending on what the person wants, their age and location. It can consist of:
* regular therapy or counselling sessions
* check ups with your GP to oversee injuries
* access to medication which may help you deal with things related to self harm, such as depression
* stays in hospital if you're feeling 'unsafe' and very self destructive
* or just simply a source of information and someone to talk to.
The majority of people who self harm keep their injuries a secret and are ashamed of this. Therefore confiding in someone- a friend, parent, teacher or health worker can be extremely traumatic and seen as a terrifying prospect. However, speaking to someone else does help and some people find it easier to explain in a letter, poem or email instead of face to face.
It can also be upsetting for friends and family to know their loved one is self harming and it is necessary that they look after themselves too. Usually, friends/family aren't trained professionals and consequently, can feel overwhelmed trying to support someone who self harms. Remember, professionals are trained to deal with self harm and will come into contact with it regularly- friends aren't.
Ultimately, people do recover from self harming behaviours. The urge may still be there but the way a person deals with the urge changes. At times it can be difficult to believe that things will get better, but they will if you're willing to make that change. Sometimes people don't want to give up self harming, and that’s ok, as it might not be an ideal time in their lives to concentrate on stopping. A person can not simply be told they must stop, it usually needs to be a conscious decision, but it can be done and it is never 'too late'.
Really well written, and the thing about normal people can have destructive tendancies is soooo true. I'm sitting here with a knife stuck upright in my table!!
i selfed harmed for a year and now am coverd in scars as a result of it, im really selfconciouse about them and i feel people see them and judge me so i cover up. Is there any way i can make them dissapear or at least look less obviouse?
Another great site that you haven't mentioned is www.lifesigns.org.uk
It can also exist in constantly putting someone down... i know because you are doing mental harm to yourself you lose your sense of worth.... but also self harm becomes a way of life... i only eat 1 very small meal a day because i was constantly told i was fat then to make me feel better i would starve myself on purpose because i wanted to be like everyone
yellop
Another great site that you haven't mentioned is www.lifesigns.org.uk
added-thanx
and anon 2-i know what you mean. I had that happen to me which led to me practically starving myself. It wears you down.
I self harmed for over 4 years ranging from cutting, scratching and bruising and other stuff. However I have stopped for over 6 months, and without any help or support so I am really proud of myself
I am just hoping it wont return, its hard but possible!!!
I am just hoping it wont return, its hard but possible!!!
I've self harmed for 4 years now, and I've overdosed in that time too. I actually managed to stop for a year until the past few weeks (I'm very stressed out) but I'm finally getting over it with some support Anyway, now I'm getting better, I'm planning on doing some fund raising and do next years London Marathon as well. Is there any charities about that you can suggest I can help?
Anyway, now I'm getting better, I'm planning on doing some fund raising and do next years London Marathon as well. Is there any charities about that you can suggest I can help?Well, MIND have always been prominant in raising awareness of mental health issues, or maybe the Samaratains, or the Self Harm Allience. Personally, going back to when i was younger Childline were a great help, and often don't get enough funding. There are a lot of worthwhile charities and groups, and if you've had personal eperiences with any of them, then that might help you decide By the way i'm glad you're overcoming the self harm, and i wish you the best of luck with your recovery and the london marathon
By the way i'm glad you're overcoming the self harm, and i wish you the best of luck with your recovery and the london marathon 
Unfortunately the Self Harm Alliance doesn't exist anymore 
but you might want to consider the National Self-Harm Network www.nshn.co.uk
or SPEAR
www.projectspear.com
if you wanted a specifically s/h related charity
i think it's a great thing to do, good luck with all your training and stuff!
but you might want to consider the National Self-Harm Network www.nshn.co.uk
or SPEAR
www.projectspear.com
if you wanted a specifically s/h related charity
i think it's a great thing to do, good luck with all your training and stuff!
black-cat
Unfortunately the Self Harm Alliance doesn't exist anymore
but you might want to consider the National Self-Harm Network www.nshn.co.uk
or SPEAR
www.projectspear.com
if you wanted a specifically s/h related charity
i think it's a great thing to do, good luck with all your training and stuff!
but you might want to consider the National Self-Harm Network www.nshn.co.uk
or SPEAR
www.projectspear.com
if you wanted a specifically s/h related charity
i think it's a great thing to do, good luck with all your training and stuff!
hmmm could have had a name change the?
there's a site here under that name but not sure if its the original one 
This thread should be stickied or put on that best threads ever thread...Its a good one!
yeah, it used to exist under selfharmalliance.org but it folded some time ago due to lack of funding, which is such a shame i remember it cos it was based near where i'm from back home.
the url is now used by some evil money-making people using it to host adverts/search engine thingys
i remember it cos it was based near where i'm from back home.the url is now used by some evil money-making people using it to host adverts/search engine thingys
beach_surf_babe
This thread should be stickied or put on that best threads ever thread...Its a good one!
*directs you to best threads ever*
It's there
and thanx
long as it might help someoneAnonymous
i selfed harmed for a year and now am coverd in scars as a result of it, im really selfconciouse about them and i feel people see them and judge me so i cover up. Is there any way i can make them dissapear or at least look less obviouse?
Hey all
I'm really not intending to make this thread about me from here on, but as Anon 2, i also self harmed for a period, and am sick of people giving me weird/sympathetic looks when they see the scars. I want to get a tattoo over the cluster of the most obvious ones, and i was wondering if anyone has any experience of how tattoo artists handle this? I don't mean medically (eg scars must be at least 2 years old), but more about how they react? Are they used to it? Do they need to know it's over a scar when i make the appointment? (keeping in mind they're only slightly raised and about 5 years old).
Thanx to anyone who can share any experiences
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