Alex's Answer
She thinks she's a crap mum
Your Question
Hey Alex, I’m struggling bad with self harm and I want to tell my mum, but she thinks she’s a crao mum and I don’t wanna put anymore stuff on her, what should I do?
Answer
Hi there and thank you for contacting Ask Alex.
Firstly can we say how brave you are in reaching out for help as taking this first step is always the hardest . You talk about struggling badly with self harm and you want to tell your mum but she thinks she’s a crap mum and you don’t want to put anymore stuff on her.
People can use self harming as a way of coping when they feel stressed or are faced with a challenging situations. However self harm is not a positive coping skill, so it is important that you reach out for help. You can be supported in understanding why you self harm and be given alternative positive coping strategies when you are feeling under stress or faced with difficult situations.
There are many organisations that can support you in this . If you are 16 and over you can attend your local GP where they can make a referral to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services ( CAMHS). If you are under 16 your guardian will need to accompany you to the GP.
Pieta House is another organisation that support young people who are engaging in self harm www.pieta.ie. They offer a 24-hour helpline at 1800 247 247 and text service which you can access by texting HELP to 51444.
You also talk about wanting to tell your mum but you don’t want to put any more stress on her. We wonder is there a trusted adult in your life that could support you in talking with your mum, about what has been going on for you; particularly if you are under 16 as she will need to accompany to your local GP to get a referral to CAMHS.
If ever you need to talk about this and you don’t know who to go to, know Childline is here for you. We will listen and support you whenever you need it. You can contact our free phone service on 1800 66 66 66 or chat with us through our webchat service, by clicking on the purple Messenger circle at www.childline.ie.There will always be somebody here to talk or chat with you as we never close. So know Childline is here for you any time, for any reason.
Take care of yourself and please reach out once more for the next step of your recovery,
Alex