What is it?
Scratching or cutting your skin, banging your head against the wall or burning yourself. This behavior is also called non-suicidal self-injury (or self-mutilation). For some young people, it is a way to deal with overwhelming emotions, a kind of outlet... something you do have control over and which may makes you forget your worries or problems for a while. Young people who self-injure often feel bad about themselves (and have been for a long time). You have strong feelings that you don't know how to deal with; for example, you are very sad, but you can't cry or talk. Injuring yourself makes you feel like you have some control over your life... but it only lasts for a short time and does not solve your worries.
My friend self-injures, what should I do?!
You discover that your friend cuts or otherwise self-injures? That's definitely very scary! Don't get angry, but express your concern for your friend. Try to be understanding, and listen to your friend's story without judging.
Try to be supportive of your friend, but to also take good care of yourself. Seek support from others and try to encourage your friend to seek help together. These kinds of problems almost never go away on their own so see if your friend is open to professional help. If counseling is too big a step, ask him/her to send an email with you to the staff of this website (zelfverwonding@vub.be).
More tips and information can be found through a brochure we created especially for young people who know someone who self-injures.
Consequences
Not only does it leave you with scars, it often also has a major impact on your feelings and how you view yourself. The relief and sense of control feels good, but is over very quickly. Then you end up in a deeper valley, regretting or blaming yourself or constantly stressing because others might see your scars. You get into a negative spiral and this can lead to dejection and depression, or problems at school or home.
You are not alone
Do you walk around with worries and sometimes hurt yourself (or think about it often?). You are not alone. There are people who can help you. Via this link you will find contact details of therapists who specialize in non-suicidal self-injury. Seek professional help and prevent non-suicidal self-injury from taking over your life.