For anyone who self-harms, and those supporting them. Non-judgmental peer support focused on urges, coping, and getting help — no detail, no comparison.
If you’ve hurt yourself and need medical attention, please go to an emergency department or call 000. To talk to someone now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 — any time.
Self-harm is a way of coping with feelings that have become unmanageable. It isn’t attention-seeking, it isn’t manipulation, and it doesn’t mean you’re beyond help.
Most people who come here are exhausted and ashamed. You won’t find either of those things reflected back at you.
What people talk about here
Urges — noticing them building, and the gap between the urge and acting on it. What helps in the moment, and what genuinely doesn’t. Talking to a GP for the first time, and what happens after you do. Shame, secrecy, and hiding it from people who love you. Being asked about it at work or by family. Supporting a friend, partner or child who self-harms, without panicking or policing them. Setbacks after a long stretch of not doing it. And the slow business of building other ways to cope.
Support beyond the forum
- Lifeline — 24/7 crisis support and counselling. Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14.
- Suicide Call Back Service — free 24/7 counselling for anyone affected by suicide or self-harm. Call 1300 659 467.
- Kids Helpline — free 24/7 counselling for ages 5–25. Call 1800 55 1800.
- Beyond Blue — free 24/7 mental health support. Call 1300 22 4636.
Posting rules for this category
These are strictly enforced, because what’s harmless to write can be dangerous to read:
- No methods, means, tools or locations on the body. Not in passing, not in code, not “without going into detail” and then going into detail.
- No images, photographs, or descriptions of injuries of any kind.
- No frequency, duration, severity, or “how long since” — counting invites comparison, and comparison drives escalation.
- No comparison between members, and nothing framed as not being “bad enough”.
Write about how you feel and what’s happening in your life. That’s the part other people can actually respond to.
How to use this category
Nobody here will demand you stop, and nobody will threaten to tell anyone. Recovery from self-harm is usually slow and uneven, and this is a space where that’s expected rather than treated as failure.
Peer support sits alongside professional help. If you’re self-harming regularly, please tell a GP — they’ve heard it before, and it’s a far less dramatic conversation than it feels beforehand.