Do you ever feel... like hurting yourself?

What is self-injury?
Self-injury is a way of dealing with very difficult feelings that build up inside. People deal with these feelings in various ways. Here are some examples:-

	Cutting or burning themselves
	Bruising themselves
	Taking an overdose of tablets
	Pulling hair
	Picking skin

Self-injury can affect anyone. It is a lot more common than people think. Many people hurt themselves secretly for a long time before finding the courage to tell someone.

Why do people do it?
Everyone has problems in their lives and sometimes young people find it hard to cope or speak about they feel. If their worries get bottled up inside the pressure can go up and up until they feel like they might explode. This is the point where some people injure themselves.

What makes people so stressed?

	Problems to do with race, cultures or religion
	Pressure at school or work
	Problems with friends
	Pressure to fit in
	Sexual feelings
	Bereavement
	Growing up
	Bullying
	Abuse

Deciding to get help

Very often this is the first step to recovery. If you feel like this, it probably means that you need to tall to someone you can trust. This needs to be someone who will listen to you, talk about how you feel and give practical help. Come and talk in confidence to one of our counsellors. Alternatively there are a lot of otherplaces that offer advice and help. Click here to see a list of organisations.

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