Hi there,
Telling someone something about your life that you've been keeping to yourself can feel really uncomfortable. You might wonder how they will react. You may be worried that it could change the way they think or feel about you.
Remember that you're not responsible for someone elses feelings. You might like to think about how you'd feel in their position as a way to think about possible reactions.
Taking some time to think about how to talk to someone, perhaps planning what you would like to say could be a useful way to prepare. You might like to try writing down what you want the person to know, you could ask them to read it or use it to help you remember what to say.
Lots of young people who self-harm are careful to make sure nobody finds out about it. It can be hard to understand the reasons that you self harm, so explaining it to somebody else can feel really hard. When you feel ready, talking to someone can be a helpful way of coping with the feelings that self harm can bring up.
You could talk to a ChildLine counsellor for some help with preparing to talk to someone in your life. Or for some support with thinking about how they might react. Lots of young people talk to them about difficult subjects like self-harm. They wont judge you. They're here to support you. They can also help you with self-harm coping techniques.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
