Amy's story
I was referred to Penumbra’s Self-Harm Network Scotland service when I was going through a hard time at school.
Throughout my support, my Peer Practitioner Kayleigh would ask me questions. At the start I was feeling really bad: I used to self-harm and drink a lot, but the support I got really helped me to turn things around. The support made me feel lots more confident.
Kayleigh was an amazing person to talk to. Talking to her felt like I was talking with a friend. I had someone I could talk to, who also had lived experience of self-harm, and that meant I could relate to her. She showed me coping mechanisms, like writing things down which made me feel happy and putting them in a jar, which really helped. Kayleigh made me feel listened to and she also made me laugh. Getting support for my self-harm has meant that I feel better able to cope with my self-harm and that had made me feel proud.
"I hope people read this story and realise that you don't need to go through everything alone."
The support has changed my life for the better. I now feel like I can help people that are in a similar situation to me. It has improved my confidence, and I can talk to people about my story. I feel happier since getting support for my self-harm. I do still self-harm sometimes but not as often as I used to, and I now know about coping mechanisms and after-care which I didn’t know about before.
The support I received from Kayleigh has made me realise what I want to do with my life. She inspired me and made me realise that I also want to help people.
I hope people read this story and realise that you don’t need to go through everything alone. It really is OK to talk, and people do want to help you. The support I received was amazing.
Thank you for sharing your story, Amy.
