Understanding Self Harm
Nip in the Bud
What
Content and trigger warning:
This is a personal account from one of our contributors to Nip in the Bud's film about Self-Harm. If you need to take a break and come back later to watch with a friend please do.This information is not medical advice. It is generic and does not take into account your personal circumstances, physical well-being, mental status or mental requirements.
Do not use this information to treat or diagnose your own or another person’s medical condition and never ignore medical advice or delay seeking it because of something in this information. Any medical questions should be referred to a qualified healthcare professional.
If in doubt, please always seek medical advice. We provide support links on our ‘Where to go for help page’: https://nipinthebud.org/where-to-get-help/
Self-harm is when you hurt yourself as a way of dealing with very difficult feelings, painful memories or overwhelming situations and experiences. It can be an extreme coping mechanism people turn to when they feel they have no other option.
Self-harm affects more people than you might think. It is estimated that between 10% - 20% of all people self-harm at some point during their lifetime. It is hard to gather exact figures due to the stigma surrounding self-harm, and because people try to hide their wounds, scars and bruises.
The average age of the first incident of self-harm is around 12/13, though the rate of self-harm among younger children (aged 9-12) in the UK has increased in the last ten years.
To understand more about self-harm, watch our 8-minute film. For more information, the accompanying comprehensive Fact Sheets and additional resources visit our website.
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