Alex's Answer

Hello and welcome to Ask Alex.

You are very brave to reach out and talk to us about what’s been happening for you. It sounds really scary that you have cut yourself and that you feel horrible now when you see the marks.  

I hear that you say this is not something you usually do, but I feel very concerned that you cut yourself.  

When people cut themselves, it is usually a sign that something is happening for them that is overwhelming. Cutting can bring some relief, distraction, or release. I am wondering if something happened two nights ago that led to you cutting yourself. And also, what might have been happening for you in the past that led to this becoming a habit. Are you aware of things that are stressful or causing you to feel sad, lonely, angry or low in yourself? 

Big emotions can be really frightening and feel too big for us to cope with sometimes. Some people find journaling, meditation, exercise, dance, music and nature to be helpful. There are lots of videos online that will teach you about deep breathing and mindfulness. These things won’t always help, and it can be good instead to talk to an adult and learn some new healthy tools for coping. Life can be really hard, and we all need help and support sometimes.  

Is there anybody in your life that you feel you can trust enough to open up to about this? Perhaps a parent, cousin or teacher? There are also lots of services where you can work 1:1 with an adult who is trained to help you make sense of your thoughts and feelings and things you might be finding hard. You can freephone Pieta House on 1800 247 247.   

If you feel that you are not ready yet to talk to someone in your own life, you would be very welcome to give us a call at Childline on 1800 66 66 66 or you could text us on 50101 or contact us online for a web chat at  https://www.childline.ie/. All of our services are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, are free, confidential and are a space for you to talk about your thoughts and feelings without being judged in any way.    

Try not to feel bad about yourself while the scars heal as this will make you feel worse and could start the whole cycle again. Instead bring self-compassion, and understand that you are doing the best you can.  

Take care, 

Alex