For nearly twenty years, March 1st has been recognised as Self-Injury Awareness Day (SIAD). This awareness event is internationally recognised and continues to support the work performed by charities across the globe. Each year, an essential message is shared, one that concerns the difficulty in recognising and preventing the practice of self-harm.

The fundamental reason why self-harming remains remarkably difficult to support is because so few people speak out about their symptoms and, as such, statistics surrounding the ubiquity of self-injury are generally considered to suggest much lower figures than occur in actuality. It is believed that the average age at which self-harm occurs is 12 years old and that nearly a quarter of all 14-year-olds have performed some form of self-injury. 

It is generally believed that it affects women significantly more than men, with roughly 1 in 4 women having experienced self-injury. The reason that this may be the case stems from one of the core motivations of self-harm, which is the feeling of control. During times of significant stress and unhappiness, many experience a feeling of helplessness and self-harm because it allows individuals to affect something within their control. For males, however, there is a greater tendency to act outwardly when experiencing the same helplessness, leading to environmental destruction, such as punching a wall, instead of harming oneself. This, however, is only an idea and many of the statistics and understanding behind self-injury remain uncertain. What information is known suggests a significant physical and mental health issue facing the UK. 

Roughly 200,000 individuals are understood to present to hospitals each year as a result of self-harm, with the majority being for self-poisoning, making it one of the most frequent reasons for a hospital admission. Self-injury can be at any age and is not isolated to a single experience, with many cases of self-harm being repeated throughout the year, although it remains more prevalent in the younger population. As an example, while around 10% of men are believed to have experienced self-injury, this figure rises substantially to nearly 25% when considering men aged between 16 and 24. Those who do experience self-injury are then between 30 to 50 times more likely to attempt suicide.

There are a number of reasons as to why an individual, especially a young adult, might experience self-harm, with mental health disorders, such as depression, significantly increasing the chance of self-injury and suicidal thoughts occurring. Members of LGBTQA+ groups are also at a greater risk alongside other factors, such as young adults not receiving parental care, which can play a significant role in the causes of self-harm.

Self-injury is not a disorder itself but a symptom of mental ill-health. This means that when seeking to help those who self-harm, it is crucial to consider the circumstances and contexts surrounding individuals to support the issue. Self-injury can also be written off as a form of attention seeking, which is both untrue and damaging to chances of recovery. It is actually the case that individuals can experience self-harm for a significant amount of time before others begin to notice. 

Other pervasive misconceptions surrounding self-injury are that only certain types of individuals or those involved with subcultures, such as emo and goth groups, are susceptible to the experience. This, however, isn’t proven to be the case and there are examples of self-injury from individuals across all walks of life, which can make it challenging to identify when someone is struggling.

If you believe someone is undergoing the experience of self-harm, it is important that a safe and non-judgemental dialogue occurs, one that enables the individual to know they are able to share. Then, once an individual is ready and able, they should reach out for support. This can be a challenging step but does not immediately necessitate speaking face-to-face with a professional health service. Phone calls and emails can, for example, be an appropriate first step, with many healthcare professionals even encouraging individuals to visit with a trusted friend or family member.

Should you feel ready to begin a conversation regarding your mental health, our Bristol Counselling and Psychotherapy team are here to help, with a range of options to suit your needs. We can be reached through our contact page, here, or you can contact us directly by phone at 07751 271709.