Alex's Answer

Hi there,  

We would like to say how brave you are by being honest and open about how you feel as we know how tough it can be for young people to share their experiences.   

We would be concerned to know that anyone was self-harming, and we would encourage anyone who had thoughts of self-harm to speak to a trusted adult. This trusted adult may be a teacher, a family member, a coach, a youth worker or GP.  

Thoughts regarding self-harm can arise for lots of different reasons. The important thing is to get support around these thoughts, to remember that those feelings won’t last forever and that you do not have to act on these thoughts. You have the right to feel safe and happy in your life, in your home and at school, and you also have the right to seek support and care for your health and wellbeing. The following websites https://www.pieta.ie/ ;  https://jigsaw.ie/ and https://www2.hse.ie/mental-health/ are for organisations that are there to help young people who are struggling with their wellness and may be of interest to you.  

You are welcome to visit the Childline website for more information about self-harming behaviours: https://www.childline.ie/how-to-help-someone-you-believe-might-be-self-harming/ and https://www.childline.ie/self-harm/.  

If you are concerned about self-harm and you feel you don’t have a trusted adult you could confide in, you could always speak to someone at Childline. You could call on  1800 66 66 66, contact us by text on  50101  or through our webchat at https://www.childline.ie/. The Childline team is there to listen 24 hours a day, every day. Our services are free, confidential and non-judgemental.   

Be kind to yourself and take care,   

Alex