Page 97 - SafeCert Approved First Aid for Mental Health at Work (Level 3) | Trainers Manual

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Handouts

Self Harm

Facts Teaching

• Over 7,000 people are treated in hospital each year following episodes of non-
fatal deliberate self harm. The majority of these will have taken an overdose.

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• 1 in 15 young people have self harmed

What is it?

Self harm describes a wide range of things that people do to themselves in a
deliberate and usually hidden way, which are damaging.

Because of the complex feelings involved, people often keep self-harm well hidden from friends and
family and they may go to great lengths to avoid showing the area of the body that they harm. Whilst
self-harm is damaging and may be dangerous, for many people it provides a method of coping with
life. It is important to remember the level of distress that has led to the self-harm. Taking away the Administration
person‘s means of self harm can increase the emotional distress and make the situation worse.

Signs and Symptoms

• It includes cutting, burning, scalding, banging heads and other body parts against walls, hair pulling,
biting, swallowing or inserting objects as well as self poisoning.

• It is a sign of emotional distress that something is seriously wrong. Self harm is a deeply personal
thing and individuals are likely to have a preferred method and part of the body to self harm.

Recovery

Giving up self harm can be a long and difficult process. A person can‘t just stop doing it overnight.
Some people use self help groups or on-line support communities, others may go to their GP or seek Lesson Plans
therapy. They can build coping mechanisms to replace self harm and address the feelings that led to
the self harming. Sometimes medication might be used to treat depression or another mental health
problem that may be present.

For more information: www.youngminds.org.uk

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