If you don't feel ready to stop self-harming

If self-harm has become part of your life and helps you deal with your feelings it may be difficult to imagine coping without it.

You may not feel ready to stop right now.

This is understandable as stopping will mean a big change in your life.

Until you feel ready to stop try to look after yourself take care of your injuries;

• If you are cutting yourself use something clean and preferably sterile
• Never share needles or cutting tools with anyone else
• Clean any wounds, no matter how small to stop them becoming infected - just ordinary tap water will do
• If you think a wound might be infected - if the skin around the wound becomes tender painful, red or swollen - or an injury doesn't heal, see a doctor or nurse as soon as possible
• Even if you don't want to stop yet, it's important to try to talk to someone you can trust - friend, brother, sister, grandparent, parent, teacher, school nurse, social worker, GP etc. Any of these people might be able to help by listening to your problems and perhaps help you to cope with your feelings in a different way.