Self Injury

Welcome to the Self-Injury section of SoulStreet, if you're here because you self-injure or are a friend or family member of someone who does I hope you'll find the information you need.

There are no real statistics anywhere saying how many people are likely to self-injure. Having spoken to different mental health groups, these people seem to think that self-injury isn't so common, but if you ever ask someone at a crisis phone line you'll get a very different response. One such crisis line told me that the percentage of people calling in that self-injure was very high. This indicates the act is a very private one, something self-injurers are reluctant to admit to unless they are remaining anonymous to who they are sharing the information with.

Self-injury is a learned coping mechanism that can ground an out of control mood. The self-injurer might be feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or angry and through the act of self-harm the person can focus again and become calm. Some people self-injure to end a dissociated feeling.

Who self-injures you might ask? Anyone can, no matter what age, whether you're male or female, a professional or high school dropout, gay or straight, religious or atheist. Although a history of abuse is common, not all self-injurers were abused.

• Self-injurers are NOT freaks or psychopaths, they are just regular people with poor coping skills.

• Self-injury is NOT a failed suicide attempt or a suicidal act. In fact, self-injury can prevent someone from trying to commit suicide.

• Self-injury is NOT attention seeking behaviour, most people who do it will go to great lengths to hide the fact they do it.

• Self-injury is NOT a sign of madness and a self-injurer should never be ostracised because they really are no different to anyone else.

• Self-injurers are NOT a danger to others!! They have no desire to harm anyone else.

If you would like to talk to others who self-injure, please feel free to join our forum - the link is at the top of the page!

WARNING: A lot of these pages contain distressing material, please make sure you feel safe before reading them.