How to tell my parents?
Hii
so for a bit of context I bite myself since I was in 9th grade and more recently (10th grade) I felt like I needed something stronger so I started cutting myself. I told my best friend and she made me promise to at least think about asking to see a therapist. So I asked my mom and went there. I told the therapist about cutting and biting and she said that she would need to tell my parents and now I’m freaking out. That’s my worst nightmare. Have you ever told your parents? How did they react?
Trigger warning for self harm 'cause I talk about it extensively in this post:
I've had a few different instances of self harm in the past. I tried to hide it from my parents, but I had hurt myself in more visible places, so my mother found out. She basically asked me what was going on, if I was cutting myself, and I said yeah, I was. What happened is that she asked me why, told me not to do it again, and asked if I wanted to see a counselor at school.
My own experiences, as well as experiences of friends, have shown that they will be more supportive than judgmental. Caring parents want their kids to thrive and succeed, which means finding alternative coping skills. After my mom found out, she suggested elastic bands against the wrists, and holding ice packs in your hand. She would also watch me when I needed a band-aid or something similar, to ensure I was not doing it again. By the time I had done it again and was on a therapy wait list, she just held me and said she understood.
If your mom scolds you at first, know this will not be a forever thing. Continue discussing it in therapy, your mom's reaction, etc. Hope this helps.
@Lemurian51611
thanks, really 💞