We love hearing from you, and learn so much from your comments and emails. We’re a voluntary organisation, run by volunteers with personal experience of self-injury, and we’re unfunded. We do our best to help raise awareness about self-injury throughout the year and especially in the run up to Self-Injury Awareness Day on the 1st of March.

We believe that we have to make it easier for people to talk about their emotional distress, unhappiness and self-injury so that it can become, in time, easier to move away from self-injury, to reduce reliance on hurting ourselves.

Thank you for your recent support; you’ve donated to help us meet our running costs and you’ve bought loads of SI awareness wristbands and key rings – thank you :)

These comments are from real people, but we don’t publish surnames at FirstSigns – never have, never will. Some people talk about self-injury so make sure you’re in a good place before reading these comments. Don’t let yourself be triggered.

“Great site, first time I’ve seen Doctor comments better than my psychologist, psychiatrist, Dr and CP Nurse. Dr. Neil here sounds like he knows what he’s doing.  Keep it up :)”
Linda

“I am a counsellor who happened to come across FirstSigns as I was attempting to build a data base of information. I am extremely impressed with your site and will be returning to view again in the near future.”
Susan

“Hi, my name is Amber and I’m 19. I have been self-injuring for 5 years and have been doing pretty well recently. Looking through this website has been very hopeful as well as a distraction from when I want to self harm.

“I wanted to say to anyone who has lived with self-harm that there are people who understand. You just need to find them. But I promise that they are out there. Only surround yourself with those who deserve you. Love yourself and laugh often. I hope the best for anyone who is reading this and is struggling.”
Amber

“I used to cut so much, and my arms looked terrible. I started seeing a psychiatrist and I was put on Zoloft for depression/anxiety/phobias/OCD and my self-injury has reduced, but that was before the medicine’s effects started anyway. I recommend counselling for anyone who is tired of injuring themselves to cope with their problems…”
Jason

“Wow… this is sooo helpful for me: I am so sick of harming myself, and I think this may just be the thing that helps me to stop. You are explaining EXACTLY how I feel. Thanks for all your help.”
Sarah

“Thank you for this site. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for most of my life, I’m 18, but I think I might finally be able to stop the self-destructive cycles with a little more work. Your site gave me some good ideas. I especially like HALT. When I read it I immediately started free-writing my thoughts and concerns and the sources of my anxieties with tears streaming down my face. It was the first time that I have been able to open up about everything so much. Thank you.”
Daniel

“Hello, I am the dad of a daughter who SIs. When she showed me the cuts I was freaked out but didn’t show it. Now after reading the FirstSigns website and others I have a better understanding. Thank you. I am still very upset but will continue to offer any help she will take.”
Blake

“Thank you for the amazing FirstSigns site. There is a great deal of information to be found here :)”
Kristina

“I am a paramedic in the US just trying to do my part to prevent people from harming themselves. Keep the faith. You guys are doing a great job'”
Josh

“Hi! I’m 63, going on 64, and have a friend aged 22 who has been self-harming since she was 15 – we have discussed the underlying reasons, and she suggested I look at FirstSigns. Your site is helpful, sometimes a bit confusing, as I’ve never met a ‘harmer’ before – but we talk together about it while reading the pages.

“She is, by the way, pleased that I ask her, because apart from her mum nobody has asked, and any peer age friends she had, shied away when they saw her scars and asked what they were – they deserted her. Not very good friends I say.”
Chas

“As things have started to get progressively worse over the summer to the point where I’m on the verge of losing a job that I normally love doing, I know that I can always turn to the FirstSigns website for reassurance. And comfort, too – knowing that I am not the only one to SI; I’m NOT a freak; I’m not abnormal. I’m me with my own coping strategies.”
Jodrell

“I’ve been SI-ing for about three years, on and off. Just found FirstSigns, brilliant! I’ve only told one person and he’s not being that understanding, so this site is a great help, thank you.

“It has also been a support for me. FirstSigns has helped me to add weeks to the time I’ve already gone without SI. Keep up the good work, it’s desperately needed!”
Louise

“I finally approached my daughter about SI last night. It took me a while but I am glad I did because I came to her from a place of love. I wanted to rant and take all knives away from sight but I chose to show her love and understanding. Neither she nor I enjoy confrontation and fear speaking up. I hope that we can walk this path together finding better coping methods and share in each other’s recovery. I love her and tell her this often I am just not sure she feels she is loveable.”
David

“I have struggled with this for some time now. I have scratched and for years, I have picked my fingers and bite them too at times. I didn’t realize that that can also be a form of SI. I am doing so much better, cause I know that doing this won’t solve my problems. I still think that by doing it will take away my pain. I hope to come to this website more.”
Susan

“I am 20 years old and I live in Zambia, in southern africa so obviously I am black and I self harm. I haven’t told anyone about this because, one they don’t care and two, they don’t even know there is such a thing called ‘self injury’.”
Rain

“This is a gr8 site, I love the fact that it is dedicated to supporting people and raising awareness. My life has completely been turned upside down by SI, but FirstSigns gives me hope 4 the future. Thanx guys ur amazing!”
Rachel

Re-publishing these comments really helps us remember why we do what we do, why we run FirstSigns – we do it for you, thank you. If you’d like to leave a comment, please do so below.

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