more for young people

Questions you may have
Places to get support

Questions you may have

1. Why Me?
Will I ever stop? Yes, if you want to. Remember if you do stop and then give in a few weeks later, it does not put you back to square one: it's just a hiccup on the journey to stopping completely. Very few people manage to fully give up with out the odd lapse back into harming.

2. Am I weird?
No: there are over 500 000 other people who have self harmed in the UK alone.

3. Why don't people understand?
Self harm has been a taboo subject for a very long time: people can feel very uncomfortable talking about it. This means a lot of people don't know very much about it and can and be slightly freaked out when they come face to face with it. Things are getting better, and there is more and more about self harm in the media, but there's a long way to go.

Places to get support

1. Visit the doctor
One way to get help is to visit your Doctor: they will have met lots of people who self harm as a way of coping, and will be able to give you a referral to someone more specialist - like a psychiatrist, who will be able to offer you some on going support. It may seem really daunting to make those initial steps, but they won't be as scary as you may think. Many professionals are very understanding about self harm and are sensitive and caring, and approachable.

2. Get a referral to CAMH
CAMH is the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team and is part of the NHS. They offer a wide range of support, from art therapy to counseling, giving you the space to talk to about things in your life. Don't be put off by the term 'mental health' - what it means is looking after your mind and emotions rather than your body.

You cannot refer yourself to CAMH. To get a referral to CAMH you need to see your doctor. Schools, social services and organisations, like LCET, can also make referrals. CAMH will see you within a month of a referral if self harming is mentioned on your referral, and they will arrange the support they think is best for you (which sometimes involves a waiting list).

3. Support groups
LCET run small groups for 4-6 teenagers where you can talk openly about self harm and whatever else is on your mind. These groups also offer an opportunity to meet other self harmers in Luton and access information. The groups run in secondary schools around Luton. To get a referral to LCET simply fill a referral form by contacting us by telephone or email.