Pat's Answer

Hi you are very welcome to Ask Pat. 

It sounds to us that you want to know what to do when you feel like hurting or cutting yourself. 

We would be concerned for you if are hurting or cutting yourself. Every child has the right to be safe, the right to be heard and the right to be listened to. It would be important that you talk to someone who would be able to help you understand why it is that you are hurting and cutting yourself. Is there a trusted adult that you can talk to about your feelings and triggers? This adult might be a parent, another family member or a sports coach.  

There are people and organizations that can support you also. Pieta is a service that helps people who self-harm and also helps their friends and families as well to assist the person. Their details can be found at www.pieta.ie.  Another website that may be of benefit to you is www.mentalhealthireland.ie  

Here at Childline, we are also ready to chat with you. All of our services are free, non-judgmental and are available 24/7. You can phone us on 1800 66 66 66 or text us at 50101. You can also get in touch by web chat through our website www.childline.ie. We can talk about what is going on for you and what options may be available to you. There are some articles on our website about self-harming, your rights and mental health that may find helpful. You can find them here www.childline.ie/how-i-feel/ and here www.childline.ie/your-rights/

Please do get in touch with us or talk to somebody who can support you through your difficult times. You have the right to be supported.

Take care,

Pat