Self harm awarness..

[Loopi]

well, for my general studies coursework i need to research if there is enough awareness about self harm. Personally i dont think there is, and as a self harmer, this really gets at me. I just wanted to see what you all think, to see if i am alone in this or not? So therefore, i wondered, do you think there is enough awareness, in your church, among family, friends.

Sorry if this offends anyone, i just want to try and make a difference in my church and school by the work that i produce, and to see other christians views would be really helpful

 

[Mr.Cheese]

Definitely not.

 

[Renwolf]

I think there definitely needs to be more awareness about self injury. Doctors, therapists, counselors, teachers, family and friends all need to have some basic information about the condition. If nothing else, they should know that:

1) Self injury and suicide are two completely separate things. A self injurer can be suicidal, but cutting as self injury and cutting as a suicide attempt are totally different. It's important to make that distinction.

2) Even though it can be scary and shocking to think that someone is so distraught that they are causing physical harm to themselves, self injury really isn't all that different from excessive drinking, or drug use, or any of the other things that people do to themselves in an attempt to cope with feelings and empotions that they can't deal with any other way.

3) There are exceptions to everything, of course, but most people who self injure are not doing it just to get attention. I think this assumption, this myth, bothers me the most because if a person believes that self injury is just a cry for attention, then the first course of action is to ignore the person and hope that the behavior goes away.
Self injury may be a cry for help, a sign that a person has some pretty serious issues or health problems that need to be figured out, but rarely is ignoring the problem the right thing to do.

 

[luv4godremains]

I completely agree with you Loopi, in my media studies, we have to do an awareness campaign, the better graded ones are those which are less publicised and whatever, so I am doing SI, I got told that there is a real gap of awareness in this sityuation after I told my teacher my decision. so, yer, there is definately not enough being done to raise awareness!

 

[Hidden face_Hurting heart]

No way- not half enough awareness!

 

[bassdrum1]

i don't think so. my friends i don't think ever really caught on what was going on with me when i did it. i told one and SHE helped a little but not really. it's like she didn't know what i said. i believe though that at least half my youth group is pretty aware to SI, but then again i think that half including me have all done it or knows someone who has done it at one time or another. i want to get the word out. got any suggestions?

 

[ToxicBex]

No there's deffinately not!!!!!

 

[HomeChicklet]

NOT AT ALL!!

I know in my church alone there is no awareness of it at all. It wasn't untill my youth pastor found out that I was doing it did he really every have any experince with it. He had heard of it before but never dealt with it.

 

[Soulwings]

I don't think there is either.
My parents had never heard of it until they learned that I did it. I've told one friend, and I don't think that she really understands what I mean when I say that I've been cutting.