Getting medical help for injuries

If you’ve seriously injured or hurt yourself, your first contact with a health professional will probably be in a hospital Accident & Emergency (Casualty) department or at your GP’s surgery.

Such places are usually very busy and the doctor or nurse may not be able to spend a lot of time with you. The person who sees you will mainly be concerned with treating your injury, but it’s important that you try to tell them why you have hurt yourself if you can.

Some health professionals may be shocked or frustrated by your action if they don’t understand what you’re going through. They may also be unsure of what to do next. It could be helpful if you can tell them what kind of help you would like, such as someone to talk to or advice on looking after your cuts.

If you're self-harming but not suicidal make it clear that you're not trying to kill yourself. Health professionals sometimes assume that if you self-harm you are attempting suicide. If you have some idea of why you self-harm, or you know that certain situations make you feel like self-harming, tell this to the professional you approach for help. Tell them that you use self-harm is a way of coping but you’re unhappy with it.

After your injuries have been treated you may want to talk to someone else such as a counsellor or therapist. Most doctors and nurses have someone they can refer you to but sometimes it may take a while to get an appointment.

In casualty you will probably be referred to the psychiatrist on duty. Your GP or practice nurse may refer you to the practice counsellor or to your local mental health team.