Self harm means that you in some way hurt your body or psyche. For some, it’s about harming their bodies, putting themselves in bad situations, allowing others to harm their bodies or using drugs and alcohol. It’s quite common that people who contact support groups for self harm don’t know what to do with difficult thoughts, and just want to stop some feeling or emotion.

There are many reasons why people self harm. Some self harm to get rid of an emotion, to punish themselves, because of that they see others do it or as a call for help. Many people link self harm to a will to commit suicide, but not everyone who self harms wants to die. There are many reasons for why you might self harm and sometimes it’s hard to even know why. Feeling so bad that one self harms is difficult, but you can get help. You can feel better and you deserve to feel better. 

Boys, girls, non-binary people and people with other gender identities can have issues with self harm. It can be difficult to talk about but it’s important that you get the support you need. It shouldn’t be something you have to keep to yourself. According to our society, there’s a taboo, meaning a negative view, on self harm. This can make you feel guilt and shame about talking about your self harm. 

It’s possible to stop self harming. Sometimes it’s possible to stop by oneself but in some cases, you might need some help. There are a number of support groups that you can contact and talk about your self harm, as well as your school’s social workers, youth clinics or your local health centre. It might be a good idea to talk to an adult too, for example your parent(s) or someone you trust.

Do you have a friend or acquaintance who self harms? That is probably a heavy burden to bear, and you might also need to talk to someone about it. You can also contact a support group, an adult or your school’s social worker(s).

Text av Felicia Karlsson, Indra Queer, Trans & Tjejjour

Translated by Dannie Milve, Förenade tjej-, trans- och ungdomsjourer

Further reading:

Feeling bad

Sel-esteem and self-confidence

Suicide and thinking about suicide