understanding self harm for families

There are a number of reasons why a young person may self-harm. It may be a way of telling other people about their distress and asking for help, a way of coping with stress or emotional pain, or a symptom of a mental illness like depression. Sometimes it suggests that they are thinking about suicide. Not everyone who self-harms is suicidal, but sometimes people die as a result of their self harm behaviour.

This video is a story about a young person's experience of self harm and her process of getting help. It is based on real life stories and the characters are played by actors.