Harming yourself or someone else

1. I’m thinking about harming myself

You might feel that you want to harm yourself as a way of dealing with extreme feelings. However there are things you can do to help control the urge to self-harm.

• Talk to your GP
• Have a look at some tips on Keeping Safe
• Join a support forum to get and give support from others
• If you feel that you’re in immediate danger of seriously harming yourself, call 999 and ask for help or go to your nearest Accident & Emergency (A&E) department.

2. I’m thinking about harming someone else

If you have a mental health problem you may sometimes experiencing frightening thoughts about harming other people. However there are things you can do to help manage these thoughts.

• Remember that even though these thoughts are scary, you don’t have to act upon them.
• Think of times when you’ve managed not to act on these thoughts before. What helped you then?
• If you feel you are in serious danger of hurting another person, please call 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency  (A&E) department.

3. I’m thinking about killing myself

If you feel you are in imminent danger of taking your own life, please:

• Talk to your GP
• Dial 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department

If you don’t feel in immediate danger of killing yourself but are frightened by the thought that you might then you could:

• Talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling
• Speak to someone who is trained to listen: you can call Samaritans on 116 123 (24 hours a day).

If you’re not sure about which of these is right for you or you want to talk about other options that might be available then please do not hesitate to contact us