What is Self-Harm?
For more information on Self Harm visit the Young Minds website.
Signs someone might be Self-Harming
- Always keeping skin covered up, wearing long sleeves in summer
- Not wanting to go swimming, or avoiding PE and other games activities
- Cuts, scars, burns or unusual marks on skin
- Drinking or drug use
- Recent weight loss, or weight gain
In addition, you may notice
- Changes in personality
- Lack of interest in life
- Wanting to be alone
- Expressing feelings of self-blame, failure, uselessness, hopelessness or anger
Recommended self-care and management tips?
WRAP could help you:
- Discover your own simple, safe Wellness Tools
- Develop a list of things to do every day to stay as well as possible
- Identify upsetting events, early warning signs and signs that things have gotten much worse and, using Wellness Tools, develop action plans for responding at these times
- Guide you through the process of developing a Crisis Plan or Advance Directive
- Introduce you to Post Crisis Planning for more information on how to make an action plan visit the website.
The app contains four categories of tasks which target the main reasons people self-harm. Distract helps to combat the urge by learning self-control; Comfort helps to care rather than harm; Express gets those feelings out in a different way and Release provides safe alternatives to self-injury. Available on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Worried about a friend?
- Let them know that their emotions are real and important
- Remind them of their strengths and abilities
- Reassure them that you do not think they are a failure whatever their difficulties
- Explain to them that you want to help but may not know the best thing to do and that you may have to seek support from others
- Try to come up with a solution together
- Watch for signs of bullying or abuse that may be triggering self-harm
- Support them to implement their WRAP (Wellness & Recovery Action Plan) if they have one.
- Remind them that people care
- Provide them with a safe space to talk and share their fears & concerns
- Be honest about having to share information with an appropriate adult
- Avoid judgmental comments or telling the person to stop self-harming
Where can you go for help?
What to do in an emergency.
- Get the person to an emergency department as soon as possible
- Try to find out what they have taken and tell emergency medical staff
- If they won’t tell you, look around for empty pill bottles or blister packs
- Apply pressure to bleeding cuts using a bandage or towel (a tea towel may be less
likely to stick to the wound) - If the wound is superficial clean the wound under running tap water and apply a sterile adhesive dressing
- If the wound has become infected (e.g., swelling, pus forming or spreading
redness), seek medical help
- Cool with cold water for 10 minutes or longer if possible, then cover with cling film
- Don’t use ice or any creams or greasy substances such as butter