Perhaps you’ve been feeling dissociated from reality and life and by self-harming you at least get to experience some form of sensation, even if that feeling is pain.

Self-harm can be a cry of help or maybe a sign of deeper psychological concerns – more than 50% of those who die by suicide suicide have a history of self-harm.

There are organisations that offer support and advice for people who self-harm, as well as their friends and families.

These include (links to websites are contained in the orange titles):

• Samaritans – call 116 123 (open 24 hours a day), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit your local Samaritans branch
• Mind – one of the UK’s primary mental health charities. Call 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 (9am to 6pm on weekdays)
• Self Harm UK – provides Alumina which is a free, online 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm. Each course has up to 14 young people, all accessing the sessions from their own phones, tablets or laptops across the UK
• Heads Above The Waves –  is a not-for-profit organisation that raises awareness of depression and self-harm in young people. They promote positive, creative ways of dealing with the bad days.
• Self Injury Support – focus on improving support and knowledge around self-injury for women and girls, offering safe spaces, experience-led tools and information and support on self-harm topics
• Calm Harm – Calm Harm is an award-winning app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nihara Krause, in collaboration with young people, using principles from evidence-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
• Harmless – Harmless is an organisation who works to address and overcome issues related to self-harm and suicide. They place people with lived experience at the heart of their service and do their best to surround the people they help with compassion and practical help and support to bring about measurable and meaningful change. Website Contact page here or email info@harmless.org.uk
• National Self Harm Network forums – Their aims are to: support individuals who self harm to help reduce emotional distress and improve their quality of life; support and provide information for family and carers of individuals who self harm; raise awareness of the needs of people who self harm, dispel myths and combat discrimination; empower and enable those that self harm to seek alternatives to self harm and further help where appropriate.
• YoungMinds Parents Helpline – Their mission is too make sure all young people can get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what.  Call 0808 802 5544 (9.30am to 4pm on weekdays)
• Safe Cut Kits – by S&L are carefully and specifically designed for those affected by self-harm. Many professional services recommend having a ‘Safe Cut Kit’ available for a person to access. It allows them to have some control and take responsibility for their actions. Research suggests it actually lowers the need to self harm.
  Important disclaimer: S&L and The Jordan Legacy do not actively encourage self-harm and Safe Cut Kits DO NOT contain blades or any items designed for cutting and are not knowingly sold to anyone under the age of 18. Always take advice from any professionals working with your family to ensure a Safe Cut Kit is right for your situation.
• Safe+Sound is an established training company offering accessible First Aid, Safety and Wellbeing training to individuals and organisations. Trainers are selected from the best in their chosen fields, including; paramedics, nurses and mental health professionals to firefighters, safety, food and social care specialists. To read a really helpful blog article for parents worried about their child self-harming, Click here.