MYTHS ABOUT SELF-HARM

Self harm is rare in young people.
Self-harm is just a way of attention seeking.
People who self-harm are trying to kill themselves, it is a failed suicide attempt.
Young people self-harm for no good reason.
Young people self-harm over trivial reasons.
People who self-harm are mad.
Self-harm which is superficial is not 'serious'.
Self-harm is only about cutting yourself.
Once you have self-harmed you cannot stop.

FACTS ABOUT SELF-HARM

Self-harm isn't necessarily about suicide. Sometimes people harm themselves because they want to die. But often its more about staying alive. People may hurt themselves to help them get through a bad time. It's a way of coping for some individuals.
It's not "just attention-seeking". People self-harm because they are in pain and trying to cope. They could also be trying to show that something is wrong. They need to be taken seriously.
People self-harm in different ways. Some cut their arms or legs, others bang or bruise their bodies. Self-harm also includes burning, scratching, hair-pulling, scrubbing, or anything that causes injury to the body. Some people take tablets, perhaps not a big overdose, but enough to blot things out for a while, to get temporary relief.
It can happen once, or many times. Some people attempt suicide or hurt themselves just once or twice. Other people use self-harm to cope over a long time. They might hurt themselves quite often during a bad patch.
It doesn't mean you're off your head. All sorts of people self-harm in all walks of life. It's a sign that something is bothering and upsetting you, not that you are mad.
People do stop self harming. Many people stop self-harming when they're ready. They sort their problems out and find other ways of dealing with their feelings. It might take a long time and they might need help, but things can get better.
Lots of people self-harm. You may not have met anyone else who self-harms and may even think you are the only one who does it. There's a lot of secrecy about self-harm. But many thousands of people cope in this way for a while.
Other things can be "self-harm" too. Things like starving, overeating, drinking too much, risk-taking, smoking and many others are also types of 'self-harm'. Some coping methods (like burying yourself in work) may be more acceptable, but can still be harmful.
There are people who can help you.