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Myths about self harm

  • People self-harm to get attention.

 

  • People who self-harm are suicidal. Self-harm is a suicide attempt..
  • Only teenage girls self-harm.
  • Self-harm is a sign of weakness or lack of willpower.
  • People who self-harm are mentally ill.
  • Self-harm isn’t a big deal, and the person will stop self-harming if you just ignore it

Facts about self harm

  • Self-harm is a complex behaviour. It is often in response to intense emotional pain or a mental health condition, such as depression.

    People who self-harm are not seeking attention. They often do it secretly to cope with their intense emotions.

  • Many people who self-harm are not necessarily thinking about or wanting to die by suicide. While self-harm can be a risk factor, this doesn’t mean a person who self-harms will engage in suicidal behaviour.
  • People of different ages, genders, racial groups and cultural backgrounds engage in self-harm behaviours. It’s not only an issue that impacts teenage girls.
  • Self-harm is a sign that someone is experiencing intense emotional pain. Judging someone for this only adds to their high levels of pain.
  • Self-harm behaviour is a symptom of certain mental health issues.  However not everyone who self-harms has a mental health condition
  • Self-harm is a very serious issue and to recover, the person needs help. People need support to learn how to manage and cope with their emotional pain.

Myths about self harm

  • People self-harm to get attention.
  • People who self-harm are suicidal. Self-harm is a suicide attempt.
  • Only teenage girls self-harm.
  • Self-harm is a sign of weakness or lack of willpower.
  • People who self-harm are mentally ill.
  • Self-harm isn’t a big deal, and the person will stop self-harming if you just ignore it.

Facts about self harm

  • Self-harm is a complex behaviour. It is often in response to intense emotional pain or a mental health condition, such as depression.

    People who self-harm are not seeking attention. They often do it secretly to cope with their intense emotions.

  • Many people who self-harm are not necessarily thinking about or wanting to die by suicide. While self-harm can be a risk factor, this doesn’t mean a person who self-harms will engage in suicidal behaviour.
  • People of different ages, genders, racial groups and cultural backgrounds engage in self-harm behaviours. It’s not only an issue that impacts teenage girls.
  • Self-harm is a sign that someone is experiencing intense emotional pain. Judging someone for this only adds to their high levels of pain.
  • Self-harm behaviour is a symptom of certain mental health issues.  However not everyone who self-harms has a mental health condition
  • Self-harm is a very serious issue and to recover, the person needs help. People need support to learn how to manage and cope with their emotional pain.

Tips for coping with self-harm

Helping yourself
Helping someone else