Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Self Injury Support

We Are Here To Support You By  Phone Email Text Support Webchat 

Menu
  • Coping with Covid-19
    • A Space for Self-Harm Zine
    • Experience-led Self-Help Resource
    • Self help resource in Cantonese, Polish & Punjabi
    • Dealing with Self-Harm in a Pandemic
    • First Aid for Self-Harm
    • Seeking Treatment and Self Advocacy
    • Harm Minimisation
    • Distractions and Displacement
    • Exploring Alternatives
    • Coping with Coronavirus Blogs
    • Online Health Workshops for Women in Bristol
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our story
    • Our impact
    • What is self-injury?
    • Why does it happen?
    • Our team
      • Staff
      • Trustees
      • Volunteers
    • How we're funded
    • Jobs
    • Our Policies
    • Feedback
    • Complaints
    • Contact Us
  • Help & Support
    • Emotional Support Services
    • Common Questions About Self-Harm
    • Self-help Info and Resources
    • Supporting Someone who Self-Harms
    • UK Support Groups and Other Services
    • Urgent Help
  • Training & Resources
    • Self-Harm Training
    • Free Downloads
    • Publications and Resources
    • Can you share information about my research project?
  • SiS Library
    • About the Self injury Support Library
    • Library Directory
    • SiS Library Feedback
    • Recommending Resources
  • Updates & Blogs
    • Latest news
    • Women Listening to Women heritage project
    • Self-injury Insights
    • Our events
    • Stories of Change
    • Stories of Us
  • Support Us
    • Donate now
    • Volunteer for us
    • Volunteer Stories
    • Fundraise
    • Give to an appeal
    • Crowdfunding
    • Corporate support
  • Discover Our History
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • first-aid
  1. Coping with Covid-19
  2. First Aid for Self-Harm

First Aid

To download all of the following information in an accessible PDF format, click here

This information is not meant to replace seeking medical advice or treatment.

THERE IS NO SAFE LIMIT OR FIRST AID APPROACH FOR OVERDOSES - IF YOU HAVE TAKEN AN OVERDOSE YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE.

Knowing basic first aid can be very helpful if you self-harm, to help you care for wounds to avoid infection and to guide your decisions about when to seek medical help.

A fundamental principle of first aid is to know the limitations of your knowledge and skill and this applies even when it is first aid for yourself.

In this situation, this means recognising when self-harm is too severe to be dealt with at home and you need to seek further help.

The list below does not cover all possible types of self-harm - you should seek treatment for any form of self-harm when needed - and we would always advise seeking medical advice if you are not sure if you can treat an injury at home.

If you don’t feel able to judge whether you need medical help due to your emotional state, difficult thoughts, beliefs or voices you are experiencing or through drinking alcohol or taking drugs, do not follow the information below, but seek immediate medical help through 111 or 999. 

Order a First Aid Kit

Download the Red Cross First Aid App

Broken Bones

Expand

It can be difficult to distinguish between a bone, joint or muscle injury so if in doubt, treat the injury as a broken bone.

The main aim is to prevent further injury. 

If you suspect a broken bone: 

  • Support the limb with your hand. 

  • Avoid moving the injured part if possible.

  • Secure and support the injured part. You can use rolled up blankets, cushions, clothes or whatever you have handy.

  • Arrange for travel to hospital. 

If this is not possible or in the case of suspected spinal or neck injury, call 999. 

Find more information here:

https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/broken-bone 

Published: 6th May, 2020

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Strains and Sprains

Expand

Strains and sprains should be treated initially by the ‘RICE’ procedure: 

  • R rest the injured part 

  • I apply ice or a cold compress 

  • C comfortably support the injury 

  • E elevate the injured part 

This treatment may be sufficient to relieve the symptoms, but if you do not know how severe the injury is, treat it as a broken bone and seek medical advice.

More information can be found here:

https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/strains-and-sprains  

Published: 6th May, 2020

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Overdoses

Expand

ALWAYS seek urgent medical attention without delay 

  • One tablet over the prescribed amount is too many

  • What may not harm one person may be fatal or cause serious damage to another. Everyone is different. The damage an overdose will cause can depend on many factors

  • You may not seem to be affected by the number of tablets you have taken on one occasion but that does not mean you won’t be affected if you do it again with the same number. You may appear fine but it is always possible that you have caused damage that is unseen, and may still need to be checked out.

  • If you find an unconscious person who has taken an overdose they should be put into the recovery position – on their side with their head tilted back and their chin lifted.

  • Call an ambulance, keep monitoring them - checking that their airway is open and they are breathing

More information can be found at:

https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/unresponsive-and-breathing 

Published: 6th May, 2020

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Burns and Scalds

Expand

With burns and scalds the aim of first aid is to stop the burning process and protect the wound.

  • Firstly cool down the burn by placing it under cold running water for at least 10 minutes. This will reduce the pain and swelling.

  • Remove all clothing and jewellery from the affected area, unless it is attached to the burn. Do not try to remove clothes that are stuck to a burn.

  • Once the burn is cooled, cover with cling film (if available) – this will help stop infection. Place the cling film lengthways just to cover the area loosely - there is no need to wrap and seal the cling film round the area 

  • A clean plastic bag can be used to cover a burn on the foot or hand

  • Call an ambulance if necessary. If you are not sure how severe the burn is seek advice. Burns to the face, hands or genitals require immediate medical advice. 

  • Avoid using any creams or lotions. 

More information can be found at:

https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/burns 

Published: 6th May, 2020

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Shock

Expand

Shock is a life-threatening condition and occurs when vital organs do not get enough oxygen due to reduced blood circulation. 

The most common cause of shock is severe blood loss.

Signs of shock include pale, cold and clammy skin, a rapid and weak pulse, fast and shallow breathing, sweating, nausea and thirst.  

If you suspect shock,  

  • Call 999, and if you can’t, ask someone else to do so 

  • Lie down with your legs raised higher than the rest of your body and supported

  • Wrap yourself in coats or blankets to keep warm 

  • Avoid food and drinks in case there is a need for a general anaesthetic in hospital  

Visit redcross.org.uk/firstaid/shock for further information

Published: 6th May, 2020

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Severe Bleeding

Expand

The main aim of first aid for severe bleeding is to stop blood coming out of the wound 

  • Apply pressure to the wound - you can use your hand, or any clean material, such as a tea towel. If blood soaks through the item you’re using, do not remove it but add more items and maintain firm pressure.

  • Call 999 as soon as you can, and if you can’t, then get someone else to do so.

  • Keep pressure on the wound until help arrives

  • If something is embedded in the wound, DO NOT REMOVE IT and take care not to press on the object. Instead, you’ll need to press firmly on either side of the object and build up padding around it before bandaging to avoid putting pressure on the object itself.

  • Watch the person for signs of shock which include looking pale, feeling cold and feeling dizzy.

Please see the following links for further information:

https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/bleeding-heavily  


Published: 6th May, 2020

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Cuts

Expand

Adapted from Basic First Aid by the National Self Harm Network and British Red Cross – access the leaflet here

  • Apply pressure to the cut and hold the affected area above the heart (if possible) until the bleeding stops 

  • If the bleeding does not stop after applying pressure for 10 minutes, seek medical attention

  • Rinse the cut(s) under running water or clean with alcohol-free wipes, and make sure there is no dirt in the cut(s) which could cause infection

  • Gently dry the affected area with a clean paper towel

  • Apply a plaster to close the wound, or if needed apply a sterile dressing

  • Seek medical attention if the cut was made with a non sterile object or if there is a risk of any dirt or foreign objects remaining in the wound

ALWAYS make sure your tetanus injections are up to date 

Please seek medical attention if:

  • you think the cut may have become infected

  • it is not healing properly

Signs of infection include:

  • swelling

  • redness and increasing pain in the affected area

  • pus forming in or around the wound

More information can be found at:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cuts-and-grazes/  

Published: 6th May, 2020

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Showing 10 of 7

Latest

  • Picking up the pieces after psychosis

    Picking up the pieces after psychosis

    Picking up the pieces after psychosis: During psychosis I had delusions where I thought that people were out to get me. I believed that Extinction Rebellion were targeting me for not recycling enough, that an intricate web of journalists were monitoring my every move, and that I was on a TV show like The Truman Show.

  • Past Event: Women Listening to Women: A History of Self-Injury & Mental Health Activism

    Past Event: Women Listening to Women: A History of Self-Injury & Mental Health Activism

    Find out about the gendered stereotypes of self-harm, and how pioneering women-led services like Self Injury Support have countered them.

  • Making Gentle Activism

    Making Gentle Activism

    Gentle Activism uses the oral histories collected by the Women Listening to Women project to explore the history of Bristol Crisis Service for Women. But what was the process of creating these podcasts like?

  • Women Listening to Women website, podcasts and exhibition launched!

    Women Listening to Women website, podcasts and exhibition launched!

    Our Women Listening to Women oral history project has launched a host of new resources including an exhibition, podcasts and a brand new website. Find out about the history of the incredible women who made the organisation what it is today, and used empathy and listening to change understandings of self-injury.

Most read

  • Women's Self Injury Support Services

    Women's Self Injury Support Services

    Please don't hesitate to contact us for free, confidential, non-judgemental support around self-injury and related issues. All services open Tuesday and Thursday from 7pm - 9.30pm. Please click here for details of how to access our support services.

  • UK Support Groups and Other Services

    UK Support Groups and Other Services

    Comprehensive listing of local and national self-harm and self-injury support groups and organisations

  • Rainbow Journal - Personal Self-Help Diary

    Rainbow Journal - Personal Self-Help Diary

  • Helpful responses to self-injury

    Short and long term helpful responses to self-injury

  • What if I don't want to stop self-harming?

  • About Us - Our Vision, Our Mission, Our Values

    About Us - Our Vision, Our Mission, Our Values

    Read more about our vision that anyone who uses self-injury knows they are not alone; that everyone understands that self-injury is a complex and important issue we should all care about and that together we tackle both the causes and stigma of self-injury.

  • Distractions and alternatives

    Distractions and alternatives

  • What is self-injury?

    Understand more about self-harm and self-injury

  • New and Updated Self-Harm Training

    New and Updated Self-Harm Training

    Self injury Support has 30 years’ experience in delivering high quality self-harm training to a wide variety of settings and participants. Our approach is participative and reflective, and is focused on bringing the voice of people who use self-harm into the room, building empathy and confidence for supporters.

  • Reducing self-harm worksheet

Sign up for our newsletter

* indicates required
Email Format

Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Self injury Support:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.

We use MailChimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to MailChimp for processing. Learn more about MailChimp's privacy practices here.

Contact us 

Self injury Support
PO Box 3240
Bristol
BS2 2EF

Office/Admin Number:
0117 927 9600
[email protected]

Links

  • Our support services
  • Training
  • Volunteer with us
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin

Registered Charity Number: 1092299