Alex's Answer

Hello, welcome to Ask Alex,

You are saying that you self-harm and think about suicide a lot. You are wondering what would happen if you told us this on our live messaging service.

Firstly, we would want you to know that we are concerned about you as you are self-harming and having suicidal thoughts. You have the right to be safe and if you wanted to, you also have a right to talk to someone around what is going on for you. This person could an adult that you feel comfortable talking to like a parent, another family member, or a teacher.

Secondly, here in Childline, when we are chatting on the phone or on our online services (Web Chat or Text), we always ask that you stick to just a first name, or a nickname. You do not give us any information like your family name, your home address or where you go to school. At Childline, we do not trace calls or use caller or IP IDs. Following these steps is how your chat stays private and confidential. We only know what you choose to tell us. We will not judge you, which means you are free to talk about anything you want, like what is going on for you now. We can talk through what options may be available to you.

It does sound like you have a lot on your mind, and like we mentioned before, we would be concerned that you are feeling the need to hurt yourself and end your life. Anytime you want to talk to Childline safely, we are here for you, day or night, Childline never closes.

As well as the live web chat at www.childline.ie  you can also phone Childline free at 1800 66 66 66, or you can text free at 50101. There are also articles on the Childline website around self-harm and suicide. You can find them here www.childline.ie/how-i-feel/.

Thank you for taking the time to ask your question. We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,

Alex