I harm myself on purpose. What can I do to get help?

Deciding to stop hurting yourself is a very personal decision. Here are some things Secret Shame, a self-injury self-help website, suggests you do.

• Seek professional help. Call 1-800-DON'T-CUT.
  
  
• Create a support group (family, friends and/or health care professionals...).
  
  
• Think of at least two people you can call when you want to hurt yourself.
  
  
• Think of at least ten things you can do instead of hurting yourself. Check out YOUTH NOISE's Top 10 Things To Do When You're Stressed for more ways to cope with your feelings.
  
  
• Have a place that you can go if you need to leave your house to avoid hurting yourself. (i.e. friend's house).
  
  
• Get rid of all the things that you might want to use to hurt yourself.
  
  
• Be prepared to feel uncomfortable and scared.
  
  
• Feel confident that you CAN do this and ARE NOT alone.

 What should I do if I know someone who self-injures?

According to the Nova Scotia Health Network these are some things you could do:

• Make it clear that their self-injury is okay to talk about, and they shouldn't be ashamed or scared to confide in you.
  
  
• Help him/her make sense of their self-injury. For example: ask when the self-injury started, and what was happening then. Try to retrace the steps leading up to an incident of self-injury.
  
  
• Help him/her learn to express themselves in other ways, e.g. talking, writing, drawing, or sounding off on the NOISEboards.
  
  
• Don't see stopping self-injury as the most important goal. Just because they stop harming themselves doesn't mean they won't turn to other methods of coping like drinking or drugs. Helping your friend or family member learn to deal with their emotions is key.
  
  
• It takes a long time for a person to be ready to give up self-injury. Acknowledge that even the smallest step toward more positive coping methods is a major achievement. (i.e. admitting that they have a problem)
  
  
• And most importantly, encourage them to seek professional help.

I don't know anyone who self-injures, but I'd still like to help. What can I do?

• Become a crisis line counselor
  Throughout the nation, local teen crisis lines are looking for volunteers. Type your zip code into Get Local, look in your phone book or call the National Youth Crisis Hotline at 1-800-448-4663 for listings of crisis lines nationwide.
  
  
• Become a www.TeenAdviceOnline.org counselor
  Teen Advice Online is a great site for information on a variety topics that might be of interest to teens, including suicide, drug abuse, relationships, homework and health issues.
  
  

 Stay Informed

Self-injury scares people because it's difficult to understand. This is why the American Self-Harm Information Clearinghouse says that the first step toward coping with self-injurious behavior is education.

The following websites offer free information about self-injury including ways to cope and get help.

• Secret Shame
  Secret Shame is an awesome resource that's jam packed with information on self-injury including causes, ways to get help, and links to both online and offline resources.
  
  
• S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends)
  Established in 1984, S.A.F.E. believes that the underlying emotional conflict that self-injurers face is the primary problem, not the self-injury itself. Go to www.selfinjury.com to learn more about the history of self-injury and ways that this condition could be treated.
  
  
• www.SelfInjury.net
  Founded by two young people who've battled depression and self-injury and won, SelfInjury.net offers ways to get help (including hotlines), message boards and tons of information on eating disorders and depression as well.
  
  
• My Friend - My Enemy
  My Friend - My Enemy provides information on self-harm and other conditions that are often closely associated with it. There is also information for friends and family members of those who self-harm, and self help tips.
  
  
• Teen Central
  Teen Central is a help-line web site for teens, by teens. This website is totally anonymous and has links to teen health hotlines as well as anonymous stories from teens dealing with the same issues that you face.

You can also pick up a book on self-injury at your local bookstore or library. NOISEmaker mack10 suggests that you read these books: "...Cutting and the other is called Crosses... They're amazing books and they really help you to understand people who hurt themselves."

		• What is self-injury? • Heard any of these myths? • Ten things to try when you feel stressed out. • Facts about self-injury.

--By Erica Fullington

Disclaimer: Information on YOUTH NOISE is not intended as medical advice. Its intent is solely informational and educational and should not be used as a substitute for professional help.