Sally's Story
I lost my Mum when I was 11 years old, and my mental health hasn’t been great since then. I struggled with depression and anxiety when I was younger, as well as having low self-esteem.
I have had a lot of issues with self-harm over the years and have also had a lot of health problems, which have taken their toll on me, and that has stopped me from doing things. I have previously had CBT through the NHS, and I found out about Self-Harm Network Scotland through DBI.
It had been seven years since I had last self-harmed and when I started self-harming again earlier this year, I was really hard on myself. When things got really bad, I spoke to someone on Self-Harm Network Scotland’s Live Chat. It was probably the best thing that could have happened.
When I started 1:1 support, my Peer Practitioner Cha helped me to understand that self-harm is just a coping strategy and that I have had a lot to deal with in life. Getting support has given me a bit more confidence and has made me realise that I am allowed to focus on myself, rather than just looking after those around me. Prioritising myself has always been tricky for me.
It felt like I was talking more to a friend, rather than a professional. I felt like I could just be myself. Speaking to someone who has been through what you have been through and ‘gets it’ made it easy to open up and it made me feel lots more comfortable.
"Speaking to someone who has been through what you have been through and ‘gets it’ made it easy to open up
and made me feel lots more comfortable."
With other support that I have had in the past, I used to hold back a lot. I feel like a lot of people don’t understand what I have been through, but Cha did. She made me realise that I can only ‘carry’ so much before looking after myself. I liked the online element of the support. Seeing who you are speaking to made it more personal.
The support has helped me to prioritise myself and look after myself. I’m not just an afterthought now, like I was. I don’t self-harm anymore, and I understand myself better. I have a better outlook on life and the support has helped me feel better about myself.
I hope that by reading my story, people realise there is hope. It is possible for things to get better and there is support out there for people. Please know that it’s OK to reach out for help.
Thank you for sharing your story, Sally.