Try To...Try Not To...
There is lots of different advice out there for how to respond to self-harm. We have put together this resource with some quick tips to help you know which responses may be helpful, and those that might not be so helpful, when supporting a loved one who is self-harming.
Try to…
Try not to…
- Listen
- Stay calm
- Ask about how your loved one is feeling
- Understand why your loved one is self-harming
- Ask how you can help
- Be sensitive
- Be reliable
- Be open and honest about the support you can give
- Make a plan to cope with difficult feelings
- Panic
- Make assumptions
- Offer to give your loved one support only under certain conditions (e.g. they stop self-harming)
- Get angry
- Force your loved one to talk
- Tell your loved one to stop self-harming
- Confiscate your loved one’s self-harm equipment
- Show disappointment if your loved one continues self-harming
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