TW: Self-Harm

[RachelB]

My teen has been self-harming on and off for two years since starting high school.
She refuses to go to counseling but this is really distressing for us parents.
Has anyone had similar experiences and successful strategies? Thanks

[Pho-RO]

Hey @RachelB sorry to hear that your daughter is struggling with self-harm as well. That is such a tough thing to face as a parent, and can be very overwhelming for all involved. Have a read through of this article - it gives some insights into why your child may be self-harming, and links to further resources about what steps you could potentially take next. 

Again, we are glad to have you with us here and invite you to continue to reach out to the community if you want to talk about it further. 

[Portia_RO]

Hi @RachelB , I'm sorry to hear that your daughter has been struggling with self-harm. It can be heartbreaking to see your child in pain and to know that they are hurting themselves, so I can completely understand why you would be feeling distressed by all of this. Do you have any sense of why your daughter might have started self-harming at the start of high school? Has she been struggling with making friends or any bullying?

It sounds as though you're being quite proactive in looking for support for your daughter, but that she's not particularly keen on going to counselling. Has she explained why she might be reluctant to talk to someone?