Self Injury Awareness Cymru

Links

There are a lot of places on the net which provide information about self injury and depression as well as other mental health issues. Below you will find a list of websites that you might find useful, ranging from personal sites and message boards to comissioned reports, charity website and more. This list is by no means comprehensive and is constantly being updated so if you would like to suggest a website, or amend the details we currently have, please email me.

Scelf Injury Awareness Cymru is not responsible for the content of external sites. Please be careful when viewing these web sites in case they hold any triggering material.

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42nd Street
42nd Street was founded in 1980 to provide support service to young people experiencing stress and mental health problems.

Adullam Ministries
A website set up by Abbie Robson, author of Secret Scars, to provide information and support to self harmers.

Advocacy For You
A website which aims to provide support, help, advice and information to those suffering from a mental health problem, and to offer the same level of support to family and friends of those with mental health issues.

Alcoholics Anonymous
The Alcoholics Anonymous website, providing information for people who want help with a drink problem or information about recovery.

Al-Anon
Al-Anon Family Groups provide understanding, strength and hope to anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else's drinking.

Althea Park
Althea Park Specialist Services is a Gloucester based provider of residential treatment, care and education to both adolescent and adult clients with eating disorders and related problems, in particular deliberate self-injury and personality issues. Their specialities are self harm treatment and care for people with different personality disorders.

American Self-Harm Information Clearinghouse
An American site with information on self harm. Some pages are being built but it holds links to documents and resources such as therapists who deal with self harm.

Ategi
A registered charity providing a range of support services to people with learning disabilities and mental health issues at home, at leisure, in education, at work and in their social lives.

Awetu
Provides a support service to people with severe and enduring mental health illness from black, minority and ehtnic communities in Wales; enabling people to gain confidence, increase self esteem and link into the community.

The Basement Project
Provides support groups for people who have been abused as children and for people who self-harm.

BBC Mental Health
The BBC website page on mental health and specifically self harm.

BBC Radio 1 Surgery
The BBC Radio 1 weekly surgery for body and soul is broadcast at 10pm on Sundays. This is their self harm webpage.

B-eat
The Eating Disorder Association provides information, help and support for people affected by eating disorders and, in particular, anorexia and bulimia nervosa. They offers a range of services, including national telephone helplines; a UK-wide network of local self-help and support groups, postal and telephone contacts and a comprehensive range of information, including leaflets for young people.

Bodies Under Seige
Bodies Under Seige website containing information on self injury.

Bodies Under Seige Forum
A very active forum from Bodies Under Seige where you can find support and information on self harm.

Borderline UK
A user-led network of people in the UK who have been diagnosed with, or fit the criteria for, borderline personality disorder. The website aims to provide information on all aspects of borderline personality disorder.

Breathing Space
Breathing Space is a free and confidential phoneline service for any individual, who is experiencing low mood or depression, or who is unusually worried and in need of someone to talk to. The service was launched in Glasgow in 2002, and became a national phoneline service in 2004.

Bright Place
Bright runs 'social marketing' campaigns in partnership with other charities. They aim to increase the autonomy and involvement of people who have the least social power, and change people's views and/or practices. They have created practical resources for service-users and staff, and their website has a selection of these to download.

The Bristol Crisis Service for Women
Website with leaflets on self harm in a variety of languages including Urdu and Arabic.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
The website for BACP which rovides information on counselling and therapy. A list of local therapists can be accessed from the website.

The British Nutrition Foundation
Website providing healthy eating information, resources for schools, news items, recipes and details of the work they undertake around the UK/EU.

Bullying UK
The charity website, Bullying Online, has 30 sections of practical advice including information on how to deal with name calling and violence, the isolation caused by loss of friends, mobile phone, internet bullying and racist abuse.

The Bryncnon Strategy
A healthy living project based in the Cynon valley.

The Calm Zone
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is targeted at young men aged between 15-35. The campaign offers help, information and advice via a phone and web service. Anyone, regardless of age, gender or geographic location can call the line.

Can't Scream, Can't Shout
A place for broken hearts to heal, for angels to learn to fly again, for those who hurt inside and out and those who love them, to learn and be comforted and to let their voices sing out.

Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction
CARMHA is a research centre within the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Their mandate is to conduct research that can be applied to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of mental health and addiction services in British Columbia and beyond.

Channel 4 Health
Channel 4's health website page on self harm.

Child and Adolescent Menal Health
A website which focuses on child and adolescent mental health issues.

Childline
ChildLine is the UK's free, 24-hour helpline for children in distress or danger. Trained volunteer counsellors comfort, advise and protect children and young people who may feel they have nowhere else to turn.

Choose Life
The Scottish Government's Choose Life strategy was launched in December 2002 and forms a key part of the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and WellBeing Action Plan in Scotland. Choose Life is a 10 year plan aimed at reducing suicides in Scotland by 20% by 2013. The website also holds information on self harm.

Clic Online
The CLIC project is currently run by Careers Wales Association. It is the National Information and Advice Service for young people in Wales 11 to 25 and is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Cool Nurse
Website containing information on a wide range of first aid issues, including cuts and bleeding.

Counselling Directory
Provides the UK with a huge counselling support network, enabling those in distress to find a counsellor close to them and appropriate for their needs. This is a free, confidential service that will hopefully encourage those in distress to seek help. The website also contains a number of sections on emotional disorders (types of distress section) and provides some useful statistics. Every counsellor on the site who has submitted their profile has either sent a copy of their qualifications and insurance cover to us, or is registered with a professional body online with recognised codes of ethics and practice, this way we can be assured of their professionalism.

Crimson Light
Personal website providing information on self harm. This site may not have been update in some time.

Crossroads
Crossroads aims to improve the lives of carers by giving them time to be themselves and have a break from their caring responsibilities.

Cumbria Self Injury Support
Cumbria SIS is a local voluntary organisation based in North Cumbria that aims to support people who self-harm, and offer information and support to those people who support them.

Depression Alliance
Depression Alliance believes that the stigma and lack of accurate information surrounding depression continues to prevent people from seeking and finding appropriate and vital help when it is required.

Depression Alliance Cymru
The Welsh branch of the Depression Alliance.

Depression Lifelines
A website that aims to connect you with knowledge from mental health organizations and provides information on the nature of depression.

Depresion UK
Depression UK is a UK nationwide self-help organisation made up of individual members and groups which meet locally on a regular basis for mutual support.

Do it
do-it.org.uk was launched in 2001 with the first, and still the only, national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK. Here you will find opportunties to volunteer for various causes throughout the UK.

Dragon Helpers
An organisation created in 2007 to raise funds and awareness for 15 Wales-based charities, working together as a group known as the Dragon Charities.

Eat Well
Eatwell is the Food Standards Agency's consumer advice and information site. The site contains reliable and practical advice about healthy eating, understanding food labels and how what we eat can affect our health.

ELITE Supported Employment Agency
ELITE Supported Employment Agency Ltd is a voluntary organisation, which enables individuals with disabilities to access and maintain paid employment via a tested system of support and training.

Equilibrium
A user-led self injury awareness organisation designed to help educate and support people who self harm and their family and friends.

European Self Harm forum
Link to forum with information in Dutch and German. I can't understand it but useful for those in other EU countries.

First Steps
Aimed at people who suffer from phobias, obsessional compulsive disorder or general anxiety, panic attacks, anorexia and bulimia, and those who wish to come off tranquillisers, together with help for their carers.

Food and Mood
Food and Mood provides information about food and mental health.

Forestry Comission
The Forestry Commission website provides information on places to go and about activities such as mountain biking, walking and horse riding.

Forum for Abuse Survivors
This is a web-based forum for survivors of abuse. It also covers self harm and eating disorders.

Free From Harm
An information site about self injury written by a former self injurer. It aims to empower people to take control of their own lives and is intended for anyone who has dealt with self harm, whether as a self harmer, friend, teacher or someone wanting to find out more about the subject.

Frozen Fireflies
Personal website giving information on self harm and eating disorders. This site may not have been updated in some time.

Funky Dragon
The Children and Young People’s Assembly for Wales is a peer-led organisation which aims to give 0 – 25 year olds the opportunity to get their voices heard on issues that affect them.

Fuzzy Pink Slippers Message Boards
A wide range of forums which includes those for Mental Health, which covers issues such as self injury, eating disorders, depression, addictions, and abuse.

Get Connected
Get Connected finds young people help by emotionally supporting the young person as they explain what's going on; exploring the options available to the young person and enabling the young person to get in touch with the service that can help them best. They have telephone helpline, email, and web chat facilities as well as an online service directory.

Gofal
A registered mental health charity and not for profit organisation which has been established in Wales for 16 years.

Hafal
Wales’ leading charity for people with severe mental illness and their carers.

Harmless
A userl led organisation that provides support, information, training and consultancy to people who self harm, their friends and families and professionals.

Healthcare A2Z
A collaborative working organisation that brings together healthcare practitioners, educationalists and communication specialists to deliver a range of professional services.

Healing Angels
A support forum for survivors of abuse and those with mental health problems.

Health Challenge Wales
The national focus of efforts to improve health and well-being in Wales. It recognises that a wide range of factors - economic, social and environmental - have an impact on health, so that action in all these areas can help create a healthier nation.

Healthy Place - A self-injury website
An online community providing information on self harm. It has a mailing list that can be signed up to and several linked sites where people have posted their own stories.

Heart - Self Injury Awareness
A website providing information and fact sheets on self harm.

Helpguide
A non-profit resource with information on healthy lifestyles and mental health.

The Hope Line
A website set up to provide one to one counselling through use of their chat room.

Interlink
Working with individuals, voluntary organisations, the private and statutory authorities, Interlink promotes and supports community and voluntary work in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Just Like Me
A website which seeks to reduce stigma associated with mental health.

Kharre's Home
Kharre is a self-injurer and a writer. A mother, a wife, a daughter and a survivor. She became known for writing coping methods on the BUS website and created her site to give more information. This site may not have been updated in some time.

Kidscape
A charity committed to keeping children safe from abuse. Kidscape was the first charity in the UK established specifically to prevent bullying and child sexual abuse.

LifeLink
Organisation providing one to one support, assessment and onward referrals, information on harm minimisation/training on wound dressing, counselling and massage therapy on site and support for family, friends and carers.

Living Life to the Full
Living Life to The Full is an online course which aims to provide easy access to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy skills to help people use these in everday life.

Lysamena Project on Self Injury
A Christian based self-injury information and resources website. There are a lot of references to the Bible but there are also links to useful articles, coping techniques and distraction methods.

MDF Wales
The BiPolar Organisation is a user led charity working to enable people affected by Bipolar disorder / manic depression to take control of their lives.

Mental Health Foundation
Founded in 1949, the Mental Health Foundation is a leading UK charity that provides information, carries out research, campaigns and works to improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live.

Mental Health Care
This web site is aimed at anyone providing support to someone experiencing mental illness. It contains information about mental health and mental illness, research findings from the Institute of Psychiatry and South London and Maudsley Trust.

Mental Health Wales
This site offers a set of useful links together with a library of information for mental health professionals, clinicians, individuals living with mental illness, families and carers.

Mental Health Television
The website of the online broadcast channel with programmes for mental healthcare professionals and service users.

Mental Health Support
A partnership project between New Horizons Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Resource Centre and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council which aims to provide accessible advice and information about mental health issues and services.

Metanoia
Information on choosing the right counsellor for you as well as an informative article on suicide and how to get help.

Mind
Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales.

The Mind Gym
A website where you can 'discover how to use your mind more effectively, so you can get more out of life'.

Mind Out
Mind Out For Mental Health is an active campaign to stop the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health. This is their website

The Mood Gym
An interactive website based on the CBT program, which helps you learn strategies to deal with everyday problems.

A National Inquiry into Young People and Self Harm
The ‘National Inquiry into Self-harm among Young People’ conducted a thorough, and much needed, investigation into self-harming behaviour and the resources / information that are currently available, it’s prevalence and its causes. The Inquiry aims to make recommendations for changes in policy and delivery of services that are well-grounded in research and in the express views of young self harmers that will make an impact both locally and nationally in the UK.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
NICE is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health. They have done a lot of work on creating self harm guidelines, and these can be found on this site.

National Self-Harm Network: Myths & Common Sense
Website aiming to support those who self harm and raise awareness of self harm through the UK. Includes resources and downloads.

NCH The Children's Charity
NCH is one of the UK's leading children's charities, helping children achieve their full potential. They support some of the UK's most vulnerable and excluded children and young people. NCH has compiled this FAQ, especially for children and young people who are self-harming, and their families and friends.

New Hope Online
A Christian website offering articles and self tests on a range of emotional issues. They also have a chatroom where you can talk to a counsellor.

New Horizons Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Resource Centre
A Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing Resource Centre, based in the heart of Aberdare.

Newham Asian Women's Project
Newham Asian Women's Project (NAWP) was set up in 1987 to provide advice and support for Asian women and children experiencing domestic violence. Since then they have expanded and now operate from seven sites, a refuge, a second stage hostel and a resource centre. Services at their resource centre include legal advice, training, mental health support, counselling, Zindaagi - project on self harm, and a young women's support group and other support groups called Teens.

NHS Choices
The NHS Choices website has been developed to help you make choices about your health, from lifestyle decisions about things like smoking, drinking and exercise, through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS services when you need them. This page is their section on self harm.

NHS Direct
The NHS Direct website contains a wide range of health information including details of dentists, pharmacies, sexual health clinics and support groups in your area as well an A-Z encyclopaedia of health. You can also send a question about your health to their online enquiry service.

NHS Direct Wales
This website contains a wide range of health information including details of dentists, pharmacies, sexual health clinics and support groups in your area of Wales, as well an A-Z encyclopaedia of health. You can also send a question about your health to their online enquiry service.

Nightline
Nightline is a listening, support and information service, run by students for students. It operates in over forty universities in the UK and beyond and offers a telephone helpline service - usually all night, every night during term-time. Many also offer a drop-in service and email listening.

No Panic
No Panic aims are to aid the relief and rehabilitation of those people suffering from Panic Attacks, Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, other related Anxiety Disorders, including Tranquilliser Withdrawal, and to provide support to sufferers and their families and or carers.

No Secrets
A website created to provide support for those in St Helens who self-injure, as well as for those people who have a relative who self-injures. They also run a support group in St Helens.

NSPCC
The NSPCC is one of the UK's leading children's charities and aims to protect children from cruelty, support vulnerable families, campaign for changes to the law and raise awareness about abuse.

OCD-UK
The leading charity for people who are affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They aim to bring the facts about OCD to the general public and within the medical community and to support those who suffer from this anxiety disorder.

The Opal Project
A UK based organisation which aims to help young people between the ages of 11 and 19 who self-harm.

Outside the Box

A Scottish organisation which provides training, advice and assistance to people from communities in Scotland who want to make changes. It gives practical support and enables people to learn the types of skills that are important both for establishing new ventures and for sustaining them.

Pain Turned Inside Out
Although this site is slightly outdated it still holds useful information on self harm.

Parentline Plus
Parentline Plus is a national charity that works for, and with, parents. The charity encourages people to see that asking for help is a sign of strength, and work with them to offer practical solutions and to suggest ways to manage their particular situations and difficulties.

Pesten.net (Netherland)
A Dutch website. I can't give any more information as I don't speak the language, but let me know if it's a useful site.

Phobics Society
The National Phobics society, providing information about phobias and anxiety disorders.

Pieta
The website of Pieta House, the Centre for the Prevention of Self-Harm or Suicide, based in Ireland.

Psyke.org
Self Injury Information and Support. Psyke.org is a non-profit site. It's an ongoing effort to collect information related to self injury (SI) in one place on the web.

Ragdoll's Candlelit Tunnel
This is a personal page about self harm. The main focus of this page is to let you know that self harm doesn't have to be your life. Hurting yourself is not a good coping mechanism & you need to stop. I know this is far from easy...but it can be done.

RCT Early Years
A Website for patients, carers, children and childcare professionals packed with information on a variety of services such as childcare, funding support, parenting support and early years education services to support young children and their parents in the RCT area.

Reach Out
An Australian site aimed at providing advice and useful links on dealing with a range of problems, from depression to relationships.

Recover Your Life: An Internet Self-Harm Support Community
Formerly ruinyourlife, one of the most well known support sites for self harmers.

Relate
Relate offers advice, relationship counselling, sex therapy, workshops, mediation, consultations and support face-to-face, by phone and through their website. They also provide support and counselling in 51 centres for children and young people who are suffering because of their parents/carers separation/ divorce/conflict, which may be happening now or in the past.

Rethink
The leading national mental health membership charity, working to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.

Rethink Carers
The leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.

Refuge
Every woman and child experiencing domestic violence has different needs - there is no single package of services to meet those needs, no 'one size fits all'. Instead Refuge offers a range of services which increases women's choices and gives them access to professional support whatever their situation.

Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the professional and educational body for psychiatrists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. They promote mental health by setting standards and promoting excellence in mental health care; improving understanding through research and education; leading, representing, training and supporting psychiatrists; working with patients, carers and their organisations. This is their section on self harm.

S.A.F.E (Self Abuse Finally Ends) Alternatives
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® is a US based treatment approach which is committed to helping people achieve an end to self harm.

SAGB
SAGB aims to help patients suffering from schizophrenia and their families. To support research into the causes of schizophrenia. To increase knowledge and understanding of schizophrenia. SAGB try to increase understanding of schizophrenia amongst the general public, families affected by the illness and those involved in policy-making decisions

Samaritans
Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide.

SANE
One of the UK's leading charities concerned with improving the lives of everyone affected by mental illness.

Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health work to improve the quality of life for people with mental health problems by influencing policy and practice in mental health and related services. SCMH now focuses on criminal justice and employment, with supporting work on broader mental health and public policy. SCMH do this through project work, research, publications and events.

Scar Tissue
An informative website with a variety of links and articles on aspects of self harm. There are also two messageboards supporting self harmers and their family and friends.

See Me Scotland
The 'see me' campaign was launched in October 2002 to challenge stigma and discrimination around mental ill-health in Scotland.

Self Help Magazine
A self help website and online psychology magazine, one of 'the first, most popular and free self-help websites online!'.

Self-Injury: A Struggle
Here you will find a listing of famous self-injurers; a dedication to those lost while in the throes of depression and self injury; quotes related to self-injury, post cards, surveys, and polls.

Self Injury Awareness Cymru
Welsh national organisation providing bilingual advice, information and support to those dealing with self harm in Wales.

Self-Injury Support
Holds some excellent information and includes a survey which people can take on self harm.

Secret Shame (Self-injury: You are NOT the only one)
Self-injury information and support. This site is very informative and useful in learning more about the disorder and dealing with those who suffer from it.

SH Help
A web based self harm support community giving information on self harm and eating disorders.

Shift
A five year initiative (2004-2009) in England to tackle stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health issues.

SIARI [Self-Injury & Related Issues]
Extensive UK site seeks to raise public awareness of self-injury, dissociation, abuse, and trauma and to serve as a forum for self-injurers.

SI Help
SI Help aims to provide a virtual community where people with friends or family members who harm themselves can come to find and give support.

The Site
TheSite.org aims to be the first place all young adults turn to when they need support and guidance through life. They believe all young people have the capacity to make their own decisions and life choices, provided they have access to high quality, impartial information and advice. TheSite provides factsheets and articles on all the key issues facing young people including: sex and relationships; drinking and drugs; work and study; housing, legal and finances; and health and wellbeing.

Skin Camouflage Network
The Skin Camouflage Network can assist people wishing to obtain information on whether there is a skin camouflage clinic in their vicinity.

Sports Council for Wales
The national organisation responsible for developing and promoting sport and recreation. It was set up in 1972 and is the main advisor to the Welsh Assembly Government on all sporting matters.

STEADY
A Self Management Training Programme for young people with the mental health diagnosis of bipolar disorder (manic depression) or extreme mood swings. The Steady project is run in the UK by the MDF The Bipolar Organisation and has been sponsored by The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and Comic Relief among others.

Swansea Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS)/a>
SCVS is the umbrella organisation for voluntary activity throughout the city and county of Swansea, supporting, developing and representing voluntary organisations, volunteers and communities. While there is a lot of information on the site for voluntary organisations, there is also a great deal of information on mental health for service users.

Stop Harm
An online support group for self injurers.

Stigma
Stigma.org is dedicated to fighting stigma and discrimination in every aspect of life so that individuals have an opportunity to enjoy their rightful place in society.

Student Counselling in UK Universities
UK student counselling website which includes a comprehensive links section on a variety of issues that may affect students and others.

Talk Depression
An informative depression site containing, articles, members' experiences of living with depression and other mental health issues and it’s effects, useful links and a peer support forum.

Teenage Health Freak
Provides cringe-free health information specific to teenagers.

There 4 Me
A fantastic site for young people aged 12-16, which helps with lots of issues like abuse, bullying, exams, drugs and self harm. They have message boards and you can contact Sam, their agony aunt, or talk confidentially with one of their advisors. They are open 10am - 9pm weekdays, 10am - 7pm weekends.

Theresa Campbell
Theresa Campbell is a Stress Management Consultant & Complementary Therapist whose website allows you to discover new ways of dealing with stress through complementary therapy and aromatherapy.

The Therapy Website
The Therapy Website grew out of a wish to make the idea of therapy less intimidating. This website recognises that we can be cautious around making major changes in our lives. It provides lots of information, and also some ways of feeling support, while you think about what might be the best way forward for you.

Together
A leading national charity working for wellbeing, which supports people with mental health needs to get what they want from life and to feel happier. They run a range of mental health services across the country, campaign and do research, and educate local communities about their own mental health needs.

Urbanwalks
The website of the Urbanwalks company which aims to help people be more habitually active in their everyday local environments. Contains useful exercise sheets for download.

Victims of Bullying Supoort
Website plus forums where victims of bullying can find support.

We Are The Survivors
A message board started by a Scar Tissue member, it focusses mainly on abuse, but there are also forums for self injury, eating disorders, and addiction.

Work Life Balance in Wales
The Work-Life Balance Initiative complements the National Assembly's own core values of promoting social inclusion, equality of opportunity and economic development for the people of Wales.

Walking the Way to Health
An organisation that aims to improve people's health and well being by promoting regular brisk walking.

Women's Aid
A voluntary organisation which provides support and information to women and their children who are being physically, emotionally and sexually abused in their own homes.

Young Carers
A website for young carers.

Young Minds
The national charity committed to improving the mental health of all children and young people.

Young People and Self Harm
A comprehensive site with a great deal of information on self harm as well as a list of resources.

Youth2Youth (Y2Y)
A unique helpline service run by young people for young people.

Youth Net
YouthNet is the UK's first exclusively online charity. They guide and support young people, enabling them to make educated life choices, participate in society and achieve their ambitions.