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Self-harm coping techniques

Whatever your reason for self-harming, we can help you find safer ways to cope.

This page contains information about self-harm which may bring up difficult feelings.

On this page

Coping with self-harm urges
Alternatives to self-harm
Getting help with self-harm

Coping with self-harm urges

Wanting to stop self-harming can be tough. You might have self-harmed for a long time, or be unsure how else you can cope and feel in control. But there are ways to get through it.

We’ve got lots of ideas of things you can do instead, and it can help to learn about what makes you want to self-harm so you can learn to cope with triggers. Whatever’s happening, you’re not alone.

If you’ve already self-harmed or you want support, you can talk to a Childline counsellor any time.

3 things you can do right now:

talk to a friend or adult you trust
safely dispose of anything you want to hurt yourself with
distract yourself with something fun or relaxing.

Self-harm alternatives

If you’re struggling with the urge to self-harm, there are ways to get through without hurting yourself.

We’ve got lots of ways to cope until the urge passes. Use our tool to get ideas of things to do instead of self-harming.

Get started

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Get support coping with self-harm

Getting help with self-harm

You don’t have to cope with how you’re feeling alone. Talking about what’s happening can help you to cope and get support. There are lots of ways you can ask for help:

talk to an adult you trust, or write them a letter
visit your doctor or talk to a school nurse, or use DocReady to plan what you’d like to say
speak to a Childline counsellor.

If you struggle to talk, it can help to start a journal to keep track of how you’re feeling. You can write about what makes you want to self-harm, what’s helped and how long you’ve managed to go without hurting yourself.

If you’ve already hurt yourself

If you’re worried about an injury from self-harm, it’s important to talk to your doctor, GP or school nurse. In an emergency, you should always call 999.