This Sunday 1st March is Self-injury Awareness Day, which is an annual global awareness campaign. To join in with the campaign, we talked about the issue of self-injury at our 12+ youth group, drew orange hearts on our wrists and will be wearing orange. Join the conversation and wear orange this Sunday to raise awareness about self-injury - #SIAD on Twitter!
Self-injury, also known as self-harm, is an important issue to talk about, as 1 in 12 young people are affected. For some people it’s hard to understand why someone would intentionally harm themselves and there are many different reasons for it but it is often described as a physical response to an emotional pain. Some reasons for self-harming include using it as a coping mechanism to deal with difficult experiences from the past or in the present or as a form of self punishment. After self-harming, the person might feel better and more able to cope for a while, however this is often only a short term feeling and is unlikely to resolve the situation.
Although asking for help can take courage, it is important that you are supported. Speak to an adult you trust or look online at the websites listed below. Rembeber that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
There’s loads of information online about self-harm, keeping yourself safe and how to access support:
The Site