[Nail varnish, paint, and marker pen]

One of the most difficult things to overcome when trying to recover from self-harm is the mind-set what does it matter? The damage is already done….

Scars can make you feel like damaged goods. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel that way some of the time, or even a lot of the time, but if you get into the habit of saying to yourself ‘It doesn’t matter if I cut or burn one more time because I am already covered in scars’ then what motivation will you ever have to stop? Yes, some damage is already done, but don’t let that be a reason for making the damage worse.

I look at my most recent scars and they do make me sad. Part of me thinks, ‘What would make somebody do that to themselves? That’s awful’ and I think these would be my thoughts if I saw scars on other people, but then again, self-harm has become so normal to me. Having to visit A & E to be pieced back together again does not strike me as a big deal, but if people who do not self-harm find out, they find it shocking. I think it is really important to challenge yourself when you start to feel like it is normal, or OK to self-harm, and in a way, receiving shocked reactions from people who do not self-harm is important and a helpful reminder that self-harm is not a healthy behaviour.