• The most important thing that they need is your acceptance, support and love.

• Listen to them.

• Understand that the person is in pain and is trying to cope with it the best that they can.

• Understand that the self-injury is helping them deal with life right now.

• You cannot stop the person from self-injuring and are not responsible if they do. It is a choice that that person made about how to deal with a situation. Power struggles are futile.

• Educate yourself about why people self injure so that you can try to understand. Read through the rest of the information on this site. Also, there are links in the VIRTUAL LIBRARY that have additional information.

• Encourage them to seek professional help, perhaps offer to call around and ask if services have someone skilled in dealing with people who self-injure. In the Windsor-Essex County area, you can call the Teen Health Centre at (519)253-8481, ask to speak to a counsellor.

For help with self-injury
Contact the Teen Health Centre at (519)253-8481 and ask to speak to a counsellor.