Supporting someone who harms
- Don’t ignore or dismiss your concerns
- Do educate yourself about self-harm
- Do manage your own emotions about self-harm
- Don’t panic or jump to conclusions
- Don’t assume you know the reason
- Do ask if suicide is a risk. Asking about suicide does not put ideas in their head.
- Do encourage them to seek professional help
- Do recognize self-harm maybe their only coping technique and giving it up is frightening
- Don’t make ultimatums or demands
- Do try to have open communication with them
- Do respect them, don’t label or judge them
- Do seek help for yourself if you feel it is too much for you to handle. Also you may need to tell someone safe about your friend or family member for their safety.
Self-help distraction
- Use a red pen to mark yourself instead of cutting
- Hit a punching bag
- Exercise (but not obsessively)
- Make lots of loud noise
- Write negative feelings down and then destroy it
- Scribble on paper in coloured textas
- Write in a journal
- Talk to a friend (about anything)
- Do art/dance/music to vent emotions
- Find self-help websites or articles
- Hold ice or ping yourself with rubber bands. Whilst still harming they aren’t as destructive, and still give you a coping mechanism
Original from Headspace with my additions
