Impact of Self-Harm On Others
Hello, everyone! For todays post, I wanted to bring awareness of the effects someones self-harm can have on us, whether that someone be a daughter/son, mother/father, friend, relative or anyone else. Often, we only think about the impact self-harm has on the person inflicting it- and its a big impact. But more often than not, we tend to overlook the impact it can have on caregivers, friends, authorities. This posts aim is not to instigate shame among people who self-harm, this post is aimed to spread awareness that self-harm impacts everybody.
The emotional impact of self-harm on parents are varied and differ from parent to parent, as is with everything in life. Some impacts include a decreased sense of belief in their parenting skills and potential for arising mental health problems. These two can feed into each other and make the other one worse, much like anxiety and depression. Parents may also feel judged by other parents for not being good enough or being a bad parent, because their child is going through something that is so stigmatised worldwide. All of these can cause distress, a change in parenting style to one of constant watching, berating and constant mood swings directed toward their child and/or partner. Additionally, knowing that their child is self-harming may also bring up emotions such as disappointment, guilt, fear of the unknown, shock and a sense of grief. Disappointed and guilty in themselves, fearing what happened, what is happening and what will happen in the future, and mourning the loss of the life and the child they thought they knew.
For the broader community, the impact of self-harm is also large in terms of productivity, employment and cost on the health system. This is the same for many mental illnesses, but again, its not often spoken about. In the workforce, there may be a loss of productivity or increased unemployment for many reasons- one of which is self-harm injuries. Some people who self-harm may need to go to hospital, which results in a decreased productivity and incurs a cost on the nations health system. Unemployment is also a big factor- some people who self-harm or have a self-harm past may struggle to find work due to their scars or history. This is by no means the person who self-harms fault, I believe it is more of a societal issue of stigma.
So in saying all of this, how can you- the person impacted by someones self-harm- help yourself? There are forums like in this subcommunity on 7 Cups that let you vent, rant and ask questions and connect with others going through the same thing as you are. There are counsellors, therapists and psychologists happy to help you. There are helplines you can call. Most of all however, remember your own self-care. Journal, write, meditate, have some time alone or spend some time with friends to focus on something else. Self-harm can seem like its your whole world, but remember that it isnt. It may be a daunting path to walk down, but know that we are all here with you.

All in all, these are just a few of the impacts self-harm can have on others around them and the greater community. Again, Ill reiterate that this post is by no means aimed at hurting and pointing the finger at people who self-harm. This post is simply a post to spread awareness and talk about the impacts self-harm can have on others as well.
Thank you for reading- feel free to leave your comments below on your story, your impact or anything else you'd like! Take care. ❤
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Thank you so much for this wonderful post 
Ive been on both sides. Ive self-harmed before, and Ive seen how it impacted my parents. Their first instincts were to lash out their frustration and distraught at me by being angry, but looking back, it was clear that they were upset and scared.
After they got over the initial shock, though, they started to make fun of my history of self-harm. I dont know if this is just their own way to cope, but it was still sad to see. I guess the way I impacted them, in return impacted me too - maybe not in the same exact way, but yeah :(
Ive had a friend who self-harmed and I think the impact on myself is surprisingly more on to the positive. Of course I felt terrible for them, but this drove me to realize that I should always take care and look after the people I love. I supported and helped them along the way, made sure that they felt safe and comfortable, and learned to become a better friend :)
Forgot to mention about the career part! Related to that and in the same light, but my school makes it clear in their rules and regulations that self-harming is banned :/ I can see where theyre coming from but I just find it odd that they ban self-harming but never made any effort to look after their students mental health. The stigma is indeed still very real and very apparent, and I wish this could be changed soon!
@rebecca947
Very well said.
My younger cousin was suffering from depression and kept harming herself every now & then until I got to know about it.
I kept encouraging her to talk about it with me. I used to call her every day. We also asked her parents to allow her to stay with us for a change and she was with us for a month or so. During that time, I spoke to her about her reasons for self- harming, depression & the underlying causes. I got to know her so well after understanding her situation that I was easily able to help her. We did journaling, sketching, positive quotes reading together. We used to pray together to The Almighty God by reading The Holy Verses which used to improve her condition a lot. I took a promise from her that she would continue living her life the way she has been living with me at my home after she gets back to her place & she agreed. I also showed her a few of the tactics to distract her mind whenever she feels the urge to inflicting pain on herself.
She is doing much better now & is able to control her urges. In her case, her faith helped her out (her words). And I am extremely honored to have helped her as much as I could.
I just wanna make a humble request to people that no matter what, DO NOT give up on yourself. For, be it a good time or a bad time, it can never last forever. I believe it is a win-win situation for all of us because although a good time coming to an end makes us sad if we take a closer look it actually helps us appreciate those times even more than before. If there were only good times with absolutely no rough phases in our lives we would never really appreciate it & would take our lives for granted, as taking things for granted is human nature. Tough times helps us to be grateful, makes us stronger. Tough time never last, but tough people do. Tough time makes you very strong both internally and externally. Hard times are like a washing machine, they twist, turn, and knock us around, but in the end, we come out cleaner, brighter & stronger than before.
Please hang on in there, you have got this! 