Self Harm.‎ 
Hey guys! Maria here! I know lots of people that have self harmed, and a few of the people who follow my ask have already talked about self harming to me. However, many people think self harm is for attention and many do not understand it completely, so I have decided to write a little explaining what self harming is.

Self harming is a way of expressing and dealing with deep distress and emotional pain. To some people, hurting yourself makes you feel better. In fact, in some cases, you may feel like you have no choice. Self harming sometimes seems like the only way you can cope with feelings like, sadness, emptiness, guilt, and rage.

The problem is that the relief that comes out of Self Harming doesn't last very long. Its like 'slapping on a Band-Aid when what you really need are stitches.' It may temporarily stop the bleeding, but it doesn’t fix the underlying injury. And it also creates its own problems. Most self harmers try to keep it a secret. Sometimes they feel, ashamed or maybe think that no one will understand. However hiding it can also cause a problem, the secrecy and guilt affects your relationships with your friends and family members and the way you feel about yourself. It can make you feel even more lonely, worthless, and trapped.

If you self harm and wish to stop here are some tips.

-To stop cutting you will really have the dedication towards it and also believe in your self and that you can do it. Tell yourself, "I need to stop self harming." Say it out loud if you need to, say it as many times until you believe it.

-Identify. When you have the urge to self harm, stop for a minute and think, why do you want to self harm. Once you have identified what it is making you feel like self harming, put down the object (rasor, sissors, ect) and talk to someone who you know will care about it, be it, Me, your mum, dad, sibling ect. Talk about whats happening, how its making you feel, let it all out.

-Find a different way, do something that also brings out relief. Go for a run or walk. Talk to a friend. Listen to music (make sure its uplifting music, something that wont make you more upset). Write in a dairy. Take a long bath or shower. Express your feelings into something that you're good at such as : Writing music, drawing what you feel, dancing your feelings, ect. Do whatever you love to do, I am sure it will feel a whole lot better than cutting.

-Sometimes you might still feel the urge to self harm. When you feel like this, and doing something nice, or talking to someone doesn't hurt. Try giving yourself harmless pain. Harmless pain means you'll still get the same feeling as cutting or self harming, however it wont leave marks or harm you. Ways to do this includes: Eating a hot chilli, taking a cold shower, holding some ice cubes tightly (dye them red with food colouring if the sight of blood is important to you), or place elastic bands around your wrists, and snap your arm or wherever you usually cut at.