Exciting Announcement! YMHF Take Over Facebook Support Group For Parents of Young People Who Self-Harm.

mental health mental health support parenting self harm support teen self harm Mar 09, 2024

Hi everyone - we've got some exciting news!

We are so grateful to have been chosen by Melissa to take forward this amazing Facebook Group to support parents of young people who self-harm.

We plan to be diving into our members' posts to give support and guidance FAR more often, running weekly live Q&As where you can ask for specific advice for your child and LOADS LOADS more.

Watch this space...and remember that if you're currently in a very dark place, hang in there, lean on the rest of us here and know that things can get better.

Sending love to our community and looking forward to supporting you through this chapter.

If you’re a parent or carer in need of support, you can become part of our community by joining our free Facebook Group 'Self Harm - Parents': https://www.facebook.com/groups/339257352865468/

For more support and practical advice for you as parents while you support your child or teen, CLICK HERE for the Horizon Plan, our free...

Is Your Child Self-Harming In Ways That You Haven’t Spotted?

mental health mental health support parenting self harm support teen self harm Jan 18, 2024

Trigger warning: This article discusses self-harm in relation to young people. If you are affected by anything in this post, please refer to our free resources listed at the end of this article.

Discovering that your child is self-harming is profoundly shocking and upsetting for every parent. If your child is self-harming, it’s likely in ways that you haven't even noticed.

Self-harming is an epidemic that affects young people across the world:

1-in-6 young people self-harm in the UK
1-in-5 teen girls self-harm in the USA
1-in-4 teen girls self-harm in the Australia

Types of self-harm

Most of the coverage of self-harm in the media focuses on cutting, referencing young people with self-inflicted wounds on their arms. But in reality, this is only one form of self-harm, and many other forms are overlooked.

The following list may help to identify other ways that a young person...

Jade reaches final 3 of BBC Devon's 'Make A Difference' Award

mental health awareness mentalhealthblog mentalhealthrecovery self harm support self harming teen teen teen anxiety teen self harm teen stress Sep 08, 2022

Great news - our 18 year old co-founder Jade, got a call from the BBC a short time ago and was told she's in the final three for their 'Make A Difference' Awards in the category of 'Volunteer of the Year'!

They interviewed her on radio and the we're all going to the big glitzy awards ceremony on Thurs 15th.

The award is in recognition of her visiting over 80 schools over the past 5 years and speaking to over 35,000 young people about mental health.

We're so proud

#GoJade

Why Should We Talk About Mental Health?

childhood trauma cptsd depression mental health awareness mental health support mentalhealthblog mentalhealthrecovery parents ptsd self harm support social anxiety teen teen anxiety teen depression teen self harm teen stress traumahealing traumarecovery May 25, 2022

Why Should We Talk About Mental Health?

Here are 5 reasons why it's important to break the stigma around mental health.

'Mental Health Awareness' is becoming a popular term, with society shifting towards a more open and accepting stance on mental health. Social media has been a powerful platform for people to be able to share their experiences, learn about mental health conditions, and connect with others online, all behind the security of a screen.

Whilst we have come a long way since the days of repression, inhuman mental asylums, and bizarre and shocking diagnoses and treatments, we still have a long way to go. Shame, fear, anxiety, negative beliefs, and misinformation are just a few of the many roadblocks to openly and comfortably talking about what's going on in our minds and our bodies. The weight of historical baggage still hangs heavy upon our collective unconscious and feeds into our modern-day perception and education around mental health and...

5 tips for supporting young people who are too hard on themselves

self harm support self hatred Mar 09, 2022

I’m stupid

I’m annoying

I will never be good enough

I’m fat

Nobody likes me

…are some of the self-critical comments I’d say to myself daily.

All young people think bad things about themselves at times, but when their inner voices constantly put them down and make them feel like a failure, it can have a profound effect on their self-confidence and self-esteem.

In my teenage years, I was constantly hard on myself. It came from the social pressures of being a young person, growing up and finding my identity, from using negative self-talk as a way to protect myself from what I thought others thought of me, and from my extended family constantly comparing me to the other young people in my family.

The problem was that I started to believe some of these critical statements.

I’m writing this blog to give parents and loved ones some support and guidance as to how you can help your own child steer away from destructive self-criticism

...

5 things NOT to say to a child who self-harms

self harm support self harming teen teen self harm Feb 08, 2022

Supporting a child or teen who self-harms, will be one of the most stressful and difficult times of your life. But you have to be careful about showing your child how upset and worried you are. You see, there will be many times when they’ll trigger a strong knee-jerk reaction from you, but it’s often advisable to hide this. Your unrestrained reaction can be unhelpful, as it reveals all the strong anxieties and worries you have inside. What they actually need to see in you is a strong, stable, loving parent, that they can rely on during this tumultuous time in their life. Even if it’s just a front!

So in our experience, knowing what NOT TO SAY at times you feel triggered and upset is really important to work out in advance.

Here are 5 things NOT to say to your self-harming child:

#1 Please don’t do it again today

This statement can come from a place of love and wanting to protect your child. That’s totally understandable. But pressuring...

Why do young people find it hard to stop self-harming?

self harm support Jan 27, 2022

Why do young people find it hard to stop self-harming?

There can be many reasons why your teen is self-harming, but there is one main reason they find it so hard to stop – although deeply unhealthy, it’s the most effective coping mechanism they’ve found for the troubles in their life!

But the short-term relief they feel after self-harming, soon gives way to strong negative feelings, which in turn need to be managed. And that's why young people find themselves in an endless cycle of self-harm.

Why does your teen self-harm?

In my experience, the most common reasons for young people self-harming are:

Why is it so hard to stop?

When asked, a lot of young people can't explain why they’re self-harming, but it’s commonly understood that the pain of hurting themselves is a distraction from...

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