I have a friend of mine that cuts herself what can i do to help?

Answer 1

If she wont listen to you to get help then all you can do to try to convince her that she has to find another way to get the attention that she is crying out for,as she wont stop until she wants too,so support but don't nag,she wont listen to that form of criticism

Answer 2

Don't get angry with her or give her ultimatums. That will only make it worse. The best thing you can do is just be there for her and listen to her. Try to get her to talk to you about what's troubling her, but don't push too hard. Don't force her to talk if she doesn't want to. But do let her know that you love her and are there for her. Maybe talk to her about telling someone like a therapist or something like that because they would be better equipped to help her out. Often it is helpful to have someone who won't betray your trust. Sometimes it is not always the best thing to run off and tell someone right away. It's your call either way. You need to decide how bad you think the cutting is and then if you think that it might be getting pretty bad or even dangerous then yea you should tell someone, but if your friend is only making small, shallow cuts then it might be best to try to get her to open up a little first and discuss with her the prospect of talking to someone. Either way you should try to get her to go to someone first before you just go behind her back and tell someone for her. Offer to go with her to tell someone if that would make her more comfortable. There is really no set way to handle this. It really depends on the situation. Every situation will be different and what is best for one person may not be best for another. Go with your gut. Do what you think is right.

Answer 3

Well the first thing you should do is find out as much info as you can about self harm, try this site : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-harm : So you have a general idea of what self harmers do and why they do it.

Next thing is to tell your friend that you'll always be there for him/her, whenever he/she feels upset or just wants to chat. So your friend knows that he/she can call you if they feel the need to cut. If your friend phones you don't push them for why they want to do it, just listen to what they have to say. Even a chat, nothing to do with how they are feeling, could be enough to distract their thoughts from self harming.

You knowing that your friend cuts means they trust you, so you shouldn't do anythhing to put that trust at risk. You probably are helping your friend more than you know by just being there.

It's a common misconseption that people who self harm want attension, they usually want the opposite. They will do anything to hide their cuts. It's important that you know by self harming it gives your friend relief from the pain they are feeling inside. People who self harm often feel numb and cut to make them feel again.

Self harm is a phycological addiction, which gets harder to stop the longer it's been going on. Some self harmers find replacing SH with something else helps them to quit. Things such as holding and ice cube on the place they want to cut, gives the same feeling. Playing a physical sport to vent the stress/anger through, helps sometimes aswell. These alternatives must be suggested to your friend, to give them every possible chance of stopping.

Your friend may find talking to a councellor helpful, as they are trained and know how to help. Which brings me to the most important point : your friend will make their own mind up, if they are not ready to stop you can't make them. Some people need to cut, it's the only way they can cope with life - this doesn't make them a bad person. It's important that you remember that you can only be there for your friend, you can't change them. If they continue to cut, don't blame yourself.

Self harm can be stopped easier if the root of the problem is found, by this I mean what triggers it. If you can help your friend find the trigger, then you can help them stay away from it. This could help prevent it.

I really hope your friend finds the strenght to stop. I also hope you stay safe and don't put yourself under too much pressure when helping out.

Just be there for your frined. I really do wish you the best of luck. If you need anything else please don't hesitate to email me : [e-mail] : Good luck !

Rachael x

Answer 4

If this is a young person, even if it makes you feel like a rat, it's very important that you tell her parents. They in turn need to find some professional help for her. StopPickingOnMe.com is a website that explains this disorder fully. This is more common and complex than you might imagine, so she needs you to be a real friend now.

Answer 5

Talk to her at first and ask her if everythings alright and talk to her about her problems. if she keeps on doing it get a therapist or take her to someone that wil make her stop

my sister went through the same thing we took her to a therapist and rehab and she stopped cutting her self so i think you should do the same . she is doing this becuz somethink she is angry about or is a big problem to her .so try to talk to her

Answer 6

She needs professional help

Answer 7

1st of all dont judge her or get angry..trust me that wont help.Try to convince her to talk to some one tell her that you will come with her if she is scared.Or if that fails you should tell some one.maost of all make sure she knows how much you care for her.xxx.

Answer 8

tell her to get hlp, like talk to a counselor or somehing, if you do decidde to tell someone about her so she can get help, just be there for her even if she's mad at you. and always listen when she needs someone to talk to.

Answer 9

Do tell her parents, she needs help as soon as possible. Theirs nothing else you can do to help her.

Answer 10

tell her parents or a teacher. She needs help and you can't give it to her. She'll get mad but it's better that she's mad at you than dead.