Are there other sources of support I can access by telephone that might be helpful for me to use when the helpline is closed? Expand There are other sources of support that provide listening and understanding, both specifically about self-injury and about other issues please see the list below for suggestions. Alternative Sources of Support The SamaritansHelpline - 116123 (FREE to call)24/7 support for anyone in distress. MIND InfolineCall 0300 123 3393 or text 86463Information about a wide range of mental health issues.Open 9am-6pm, Mon-Fri. National Rape CrisisHelpline - 0808 802 9999 (FREE to call)Open 12-2.30pm and 7-9.30pm daily.
What if I tell you about someone who is hurting me or someone else? Expand If you have told us who and where you are and you gave us details of someone who is abusing you or someone else, we would have to pass that on to the authorities. We would let you know that we would have to do this. It is always your choice about whether you tell us your details and we will not ask for them. We are not able to trace calls, IP addresses or your location. If you have told us who and where you are and you ask us to report a situation where you are at risk we can do this. However, as we are only open limited hours we recommend the agencies below who are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are set up to do this. Women’s Aid National Domestic Violence Helpline - 0808 2000 247 (FREE to call) Childline Helpline - 0800 1111 (FREE to call). Help and advice for young people about a wide range of issues. Webchat and email support is also available. The Police 999 (emergency number) or 101 (non-emergency number)
What if I am feeling suicidal? Expand Lots of women who contact us feel suicidal. We can support you and listen to your feelings about not wanting to live. If you have taken something or have injured yourself and you are concerned we would hope that you would contact emergency services. If you have told us your name and where you are and that you have taken action towards suicide or intend to right away, we would have to contact emergency services for you. It is always your choice about whether you tell us your details and we will not ask for them. We are not able to trace your call or find out where you are. We hope that if you are still contacting us then a part of you wants us to listen and we will do that while we are open and give you details of other organisations to contact when we are closed.
What if I have hurt myself a lot? Do you give medical advice? Expand We are not medically trained and do not give any kind of medical advice. If you have hurt yourself and you were worried, we would encourage you to seek medical attention by calling an ambulance or going to A&E or other medical support. If you are unsure what to do, you can call 111. They can give you medical support over the phone and advise you on what to do. If you have told us who and where you are and we think that what you have done has put you at risk of significant harm or death, then we would have to call an ambulance. We understand this might be frightening, but we will support you until we close. It is always your choice about whether you tell us your details and we will not ask for them. We are not able to trace calls, IP addresses or your location. You can find more information on harm minimisation and wound care by following these links: Limiting Damage/Harm Minimisation First Aid Caring for Wounds and Scars
What if I don't want to stop self-harming? Expand We understand that self-harm is a coping strategy for many women who contact us and we don’t expect you to stop using self-harm unless you want to. We can support you to talk about how self-harm helps you – it is entirely up to you what you want to talk about.
What if I want to stop self-harming? Expand We always offer support around how you feel, but if you are looking to understand your self-injury, learn other coping strategies or ways of trying to stop self-harming we can support you with this too. We have lots of experience of working with self-harm and understand it is not easy to stop. We also understand that even if you have moved away from self-harm, you may still think about it or have urges to go back to it. We can support you with that too. For further help you could also try looking at our 'How do I stop?' advice and information page.
I don't know if what I do is self-harm. Can I still contact you? Expand Self-harm is a very broad area and our services are open to anyone who feels they could help them. We don’t ask people to say what they do and we don’t ask you to justify contacting us. If you feel we could help you then you are very welcome to call or send a message via our text webchat and email support service.
What if I get really upset? Expand Lots of women who call us are very distressed and experiencing difficult emotions. We are here to listen to whatever you want to talk about and it is OK if you are feeling very upset or distressed.
What if I don't know what to say? Expand You don’t have to say anything when you call us – we know that it can sometimes be very difficult to know where to start or you might feel very upset or anxious. We will stay on the phone with you whether you talk or not and understand that making a connection with someone else in silence can be helpful.
Do I have to talk about self-harm? Expand No – we understand that for many women self-harm is a way to cope with other things that have happened or very strong feelings and that it may be useful for you to talk about those things. All of our volunteers have had specialist training around self-harm and will support you to talk about whatever you feel is useful when you get in touch.
Is it okay to talk about my self-harm? Expand Of course. We understand the issues around self-harm and hope that you feel able to talk about what you do and the reasons why you do it. We know it is can be confusing and lots of women who contact our support services talk about this. We know it can be hard to talk about and often women contact us a number of times before they feel able to talk about self-harm or other sensitive issues.
Do I have to tell you my name? Expand No. We do not ask any personal information about you and we do not expect you to give it. We understand that sometimes people not knowing who you are can make it easier to talk about difficult things or about what is going on in your life. If you If you have told us who and where you are and we think that you are at risk of significant harm or death we would have to tell someone what you have told us. Please bear in mind that if you give us any information that stays on our system. That information could be linked together at a later date to find you if we were worried about your safety. As an organisation we share safeguarding concerns across our services. It is always your choice about whether you tell us your details and we will not ask for them. We cannot trace calls or IP addresses.
What will happen when I call? Expand When you call we will answer ‘Hello Women’s Self Injury Helpline’ and then give you space to talk. We can offer you support for half an hour each time we are open and will let you know when we are coming to the end of the call. You can ask us questions about how the service works and we can send you information if it is useful.
Who answers the phone? Expand All calls are answered by specially trained female volunteers. All volunteers do intensive training about self-harm and offering non-judgmental, non-directional support to callers.
Who do you support? Expand There are no upper or lower age limits on any of our services. We support anyone who identifies as a woman, and non-binary people who feel we are the right service for them to contact. We don't support anyone who identifies as a man as it is not our specialist area, but we are very happy to signpost men to other similar services. If you're not sure if we are the right place for you to seek support, we are really happy to explore this with you, and work out whether we feel like a service that could be helpful to you. If you are a woman who is worried about a friend or relative who is self-injuring you can get support from us too. We don't give advice, but will give you the time and space to talk about whatever you need.