Self-harm

Self-harm proved to me I was real, I was alive. At times it also silenced the chaos in my head, briefly pausing the repetitive flashbacks and body memories.

About self-harm

Find out what self-harm is and some of the reasons why people self-harm.

Helping yourself if you self-harm

Find tips if you want to self-harm right now. And how to cope in the long term.

Treatment and support for self-harm

Learn what treatment and support is available for self-harm.

Supporting someone who self-harms

Find out how to support someone else who is self-harming.

If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, it's a mental health emergency.

Get emergency advice

I hated my body and blamed it for what I'd been through, so felt it needed punishing. Learning to accept and respect my body was key to overcoming self-harm.

Close Up Of Young Person Writing In Classroom

Under 18? Go to our young people's page on coping with self-harm

Your stories

Blog: “Learning to break the self-harm cycle”

Read Alison's story

Blog: “How I stopped self-harming thanks to STOP”

Read Catherine's story

Blog: “Writing and music showed me another way”

Read Charlie-Casper's story

Video: Talking about self-harm

Watch Ben, Lechelle, Debbie and Zainab talk about the reasons behind their self-harm. Including the different ways they’ve learned to cope and how friends and family could have supported them.

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