TW/ Self harm

Rose113 · April 30

So Tuesday night I had a bad relapse which resulted in me having to get first aid today. I felt panicked about showing Janis all day especially as she was very busy most of the day and goes home at 3pm and so it got to 2:45 and I asked my ALS if I could go and see Janis as she knew something was bothering me because I was heavily distracted in lesson and was struggling to be focused and was reaching a point where I was getting really jittery so she let me go see Janis.

Part of me didn’t want her to be free except she was so I just went it and was really quiet and she asked if I was okay and all I could say was “I’m sorry” so she shut the office door and sorted my self harm, the head of union of students was there too and she was lovely too, we started chatting as Janis asked if anything was bothering me and I explained a situation that was bothering me.

She cleaned it all up and applied first aid and logged it etc and then she let out the “as you know I tell Emma whenever you self harm however this time I will have to make her aware of the severity of it” my heart sank hearing that and I just nodded and went back to lesson and sat down on the verge of tears.

Last time I did sh this bad Emma phoned home and it didn’t cause issues but I struggled accepting that my mum needed to know and this time I knew she would do the same (not sure if she has or not) but it makes me so anxious

Sian321 · May 2

Hey @Rose113 , thank you very much for making this post. We're here and we're listening.

From what you've described, it sounds like the last few days might have been extreamly difficult. You had a severe SH relapse on Tuesday night which then led you to recieve first aid from Janis at school and for Emma to be informed. And now you feel really, really anxious about the idea of your mum finding out. I hear you, Rose, and this sounds really overwhelming to be going through.

Firstly, it sounds like it might have taken so much courage to go to Janis, and it can be incredibly brave to reach out for help in moments like that when a part of you also hoped she wouldn't be available. That feels really powerful, even though I also hear just how vulnerable it felt to tell her and how your heart sank when she let you know she needed to inform Emma. It sounds like you're coping with a lot of difficult thoughts and feelings right now, and you're doing so well to talk about this here. It sounds like a relief too, perhaps to be able to talk to Janis about the situation that had been troubling you and to get that off your chest.

May I ask, how have you been feeling emotionally since, and I wonder if the situation you talked to Janis about has changed at all or if you're still coping with this?

I wonder what part of your mum knowing about this makes you most anxious?

In the meantime, I will share some resources below which may feel helpful:

There’s an organisation called Sane which offers information and emotional support to people affected by emotional and mental health issues, including self harm. Their helpline SANEline is open every day from 4pm-10pm on 0300 304 7000. You can also access their textline via their website or email support@sane.org.uk. and they will reply within 72 hours. You can go to www.sane.org.uk for more details about them or to access their forum.

The organisation Body & Soul have a service called MindSET where they offer free online mental health support delivered by therapists and young people through science, creativity and community. They have free, live, online sessions, videos, animations and podcasts. MindSET delivers effective, concrete skills to help young people manage emotional distress, which are also useful for those at risk of self-harm and suicide. Their therapeutic team will help you to reduce and manage emotional distress and prevent harmful behaviours. To register to the live streams head to http://bodyandsoulcharity.org/sharethelove/ You can also contact them at 020 7923 6880 or email enquiries@bodyandsoulcharity.org

Battle Scars is an organisation offering support around self-harm. They run virtual peer support groups on Zoom for people aged 18+ in the UK. They also run face to face support groups in Leeds for people aged 18+, and one for people aged 16-25. Their peer support groups are at a range of times and days over the week. On their website they have a self-harm management workbook for 10-17 year-olds, and they have a worldwide private Facebook Support Group. Support is also available to parents and families of people who self-harm. They have a service called FRESH that is phone support for people aged 18+ who self-harm (England only). It's not a helpline or crisis service, but it's a project focusing on prevention, a way to obtain a FRESH view, a FRESH approach and get some FRESH ideas to help you manage your self-harm and life. For more information on their services head to their website https://www.battle-scars-self-harm.org.uk/

Rose113 · May 2

Hey @Sian321 i ended up telling mum myself

Sian321 · May 2

How did that go, @Rose113 ? What was it like telling her?

I can imagine that might have taken courage, and you're doing really well to ask for help here.

TW/ Self harm

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