SELF HELP

Self Help

If you have an emergency please see the emergencies page and also emergency first aid

It is vitally important to seek help if you are harming yourself, whether it be support from friends and family or professional help from a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist or another qualified mental health worker to help you deal successfully with your problems. Seeking help is often difficult emotionally as it involves accepting your situation and challenging difficult feelings.

Something to consider:

	Reducing the extent of your injuries
	Taking care of your injuries
	Learning to accept yourself
	Telling others about your self harm
	Dealing with how other people react
	Discover how self harm helps you
	Looking into your past, did you past contribute to your self harm?
	Looking at the present. What do you feel about your life right now?
	Distract yourself - watch some TV, listen to music, arrange to meet a friend, go shopping - something you enjoy doing or something you can concentrate on.
	Do some relaxation - deep breathing, massage, aromatherapy.
	If you are feeling panicky, have a look at coping with panic

Here is a list of suggestions that may help you taken from the questionnaire results

Listening to music

people being nice

group therapy

Using the internet to talk to people in similar situations

reading

activities to keep mind focused

Detachment from feelings

talking to someone about how you feel

taking to friends

writing about how you feel

relaxation

living in an environment which is "normal"

talking to your doctor or a professional

telling someone that you have hurt yourself

keeping busy

knowing that someone cares about you

spirituality

holding ice in hand

people understanding, who don't judge you

someone being nice to me

group therapy

closing eyes and thinking of calming thoughts

learning something new

drawing on arms with red pen/marker

mutilating a fruit or veg

setting limits on the amount of self harm

being around people and friends

sports/exercise

smoking

writing poetry

Playing/making your own music

"being believed"

Knowing that you are not alone and there are other people with similar problems

Imagining that people are going to get on at you for what you have done

Some DBT Techniques

	Deep breathing
	Count your breaths - count while you breath in and then when you breath out, gain a regular breathing pattern.
	Distraction - wash the dishes, make a cup of tea, watch some TV. Find something that will take your mind away from how you feel. (It IS difficult, but its worth a try and it may help)
	Self Soothe - take a bath, paint your nails, make a hot milky drink, do anything you find pleasurable

If you feel you want to hurt yourself try pinging an elastic band around your wrist, or squeeze some ice cubes in your hand. This will cause the sensation of pain, but will not actually harm you.

HOME

	Listening to music
	people being nice
	group therapy
	Using the internet to talk to people in similar situations
	reading
	activities to keep mind focused
	Detachment from feelings
	talking to someone about how you feel
	taking to friends
	writing about how you feel
	relaxation
	living in an environment which is "normal"
	talking to your doctor or a professional
	telling someone that you have hurt yourself
	keeping busy
	knowing that someone cares about you
	spirituality
	holding ice in hand
	people understanding, who don't judge you
	someone being nice to me
	group therapy
	closing eyes and thinking of calming thoughts
	learning something new
	drawing on arms with red pen/marker
	mutilating a fruit or veg
	setting limits on the amount of self harm
	being around people and friends
	sports/exercise
	smoking
	writing poetry
	Playing/making your own music
	"being believed"
	Knowing that you are not alone and there are other people with similar problems
	Imagining that people are going to get on at you for what you have done