Self-harmers must be mentally ill…..

Self-harm in itself is not a diagnosis. It is not a mental disorder; it is an emotional difficultly. There may be people who do have a diagnosed mental health condition or learning disability, who have associated self-harming behaviours as part of that diagnosis, but for the vast majority of harmers, self-harm is an expression of difficult or unbearable emotions. Harmers may be referred to mental health teams for additional support - a psychologist or community nurse may be able to offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which can help change patterns of thought and behaving. 

Some harmers may be given a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) which can be confusing and upsetting as it may imply there is something wrong with the person's personality - and isn't it personality that defines who we are and what our friends like about us? Self-harming doesn't mean you have BPD - it is often just one of many symptoms psychiatrists will be looking for. If you hear the term being used, ask questions, find out what it means for you and speak out if you don't agree.

Being part of the mental health system is nothing to be ashamed of, and a diagnosis is just a label - it doesn't take away who you are or what you can achieve in the future. Society still has a lots of stigma about mental health, which is sad because it may stop people looking for help. If you want to be supported by professionals in overcoming your problems with self-harm, then go for it - if it's what you want to do it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.