Summer Holiday Project #3: Work towards mental wellbeing. Talk with people, lay to rest past issues, call a charity to get professional help with current issues and feelings.
Other people’s thoughts – good, bad or indifferent – are their own. Enjoy your own life to the full; you can’t please everyone all of the time, and there’s no need to try to.
Accept that you can’t control what other people think. You’ve no idea what might go through their head, or why; everyone responds differently.
Other people might judge you for not meeting up to their standards – but if you’re true to your own goals and values, then you know you’ve got your priorities right.
For more information and support about self-harm, useful resources include SelfHarm.co.uk, Harmless (www.harmless.org.uk) and National Self Harm Network (www.nshn.co.uk).
Some may benefit from professional help for self-harm: this can be accessed through your GP, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service provision can be accessed through a referral by your GP, school nurse, or teacher.
An important step forward is making the decision to learn to live without self-harm, and being prepared to face underlying issues that may have caused the behaviour in the first place.
When you are feeling hurt, the proverb “This, too, shall pass” reminds us that all situations are temporary – good or bad – that change is inevitable, and that we can enjoy the good situations in life without the fear of losing them.
Some will be able to work through their self-harm issues by talking with friends and/or family. They may find it hard to understand; ask for help dealing with your emotions.
It is possible for all to learn to live without needing to self-harm. With the right support, understanding and motivation to get better, it is possible for everyone to recover.