Witness Change

ALT Graphic with title text: “Understanding self-harm.” Subtitle text: “What is self-harm?” Smaller text: “Self-harm is when you hurt yourself on purpose, often to help cope with difficult or overwhelming thoughts and feelings. This might be cutting, burning, alcohol or drug abuse, not eating, or getting into fights, for example.” Second subtitle text: “Why do people self-harm?” Smaller text: “People can self-harm for different reasons. It usually starts as a way to relieve built up pressure from distressing thoughts and feelings. Because of the temporary relief you may feel, it can become a cycle for coping with life’s difficulties.”

ALT Left hand side text: “Because self-harm might offer temporary relief from emotional pain that someone experiences, it can become their normal way of dealing with life’s difficulties.” Left hand side shows a full cycle with clockwise arrows with text: “Shame/grief, emotional suffering, emotional overload, panic, self-harm, temporary relief.” In the middle of the cycle the text says: “The self-harm cycle.”

ALT Graphic with the title text: “Support and recovery”. The left-hand side column of text says: “An important first step in breaking the self-harm cycle is talking to someone. There is lots of help available, such as talking therapy, to help you develop coping strategies and address the underlying problems causing your distress. There are also helplines, self-help groups, and information and advice through specialist charities.” The right-hand column of text says: “You can also try distraction techniques e.g. Write down thoughts and feelings that are distressing you - and throw it away; Go for a walk to take yourself away from triggers; Do something creative; Go online and look at self-help websites.”

ALT Graphic with text: “Looking after yourself: Create a safe box to help you through times when you feel the urge to harm yourself. When you feel overwhelmed, talk to someone you trust. Avoid alcohol and drugs, as this can lead to feeling anxious or depressed, and lower your inhibitions. Keep yourself physically safe and get medical attention if you need it. Keep doing things you enjoy and make you happy.”