When you get the urge to self-harm, take a moment and try to:

• keep a journal
• be kind to yourself
• get a good night's sleep
• drink water and eat well
• go for a walk or do some gentle exercise
• play music, sing or dance
• hold an ice cube
• punch a pillow or cushion
• tear up newspaper or magazines
• text a friend for help

If you feel that things are getting out of hand, talk to a trusted person or seek professional help:

• Mindline Somerset are available 24/7 on 01823 276892
• Rethink Mental Illness offers self-harming advice
• Download Calm Harm App Store or Calm Harm Google Play to resist or manage self-harm
• Download MeeToo App Store or MeeToo Google Play to help you talk about difficult things
• Understand your low mood, sadness or depression

Resources for young people:

• Young Minds has a self-harming guide and personal story videos 
• Somerset big tent empowering children and young people to find the right wellbeing support at the right time
• Young Somerset supporting wellbeing for young people
• Emerging Minds has resources for young people
• Kooth online mental wellbeing community
• Learn how to manage stress
• MindEd for families

If you feel your situation is getting out of control, talk to your GP

Self-harm is a harmful way to cope with emotional pain, intense anger and frustration.

Self-harm may bring brief feelings of calm and a release, but it's usually followed by guilt and shame and the return of painful emotions. Although life-threatening injuries are usually not meant, self-harm can be more serious and even fatal. 

Self-harm can be:

• cutting, scratching or biting
• burning or scalding
• sticking sharp objects into your body
• not letting wounds heal
• knocking or banging
• drinking alcohol
• taking drugs
• overdose on tablets
• over or under eating
• eating or drinking poisonous things
• risky or dangerous behaviour

While self-harm is more common in young people who live with depression and anxiety, it does affect adults without a mental health problem too.

There are many reasons why you might self-harm. It is usually a symptom that something stressful or upsetting is going on in your life that is difficult to deal with. The reasons to self-harm may change overtime. You are more likely to self-harm if you:

• have a mental health issue such as:
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • borderline personality disorder
  • an eating disorder
• have a substance abuse issue
• are female
• are a young person
• are in prison
• are an asylum seeker
• are a veteran of the armed forces
• are gay, lesbian or bisexual
• have lost a loved one through suicide
• are a survivor of physical, emotional or sexual abuse as a child or as an adult