INCIDENCES OF deliberate self-harm increased significantly last year – with almost 12,000 people attending hospital emergency departments seeking medical assistance for such self-inflicted injuries.

Official figures mirror counselling service reports indicating there has been a rise in people – particularly young people – seeking help for the problem. Cindy O’Connor of Pieta House, a suicide and self harm prevention centre, told TheJournal.ie that they had seen 300 people under the age of 18 last year. “Since we opened, demand has increased very quickly. The numbers of young women have certainly increased,” she said.

The National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm estimates that the number of people displaying evidence of self-harm on an annual basis is 22,000. However, as the majority of people who engage in the behaviour do so in private, O’Connor warns that the number is likely to be much higher – and places it at 66,000.

“Lots of myths and misunderstandings surrounding self harm. Some people think it’s attention-seeking behaviour but the truth is that nobody engages in self harm for no reason. It can be a coping mechanism for feelings of self-loathing or sadness – or to deal with flashbacks of abuse. But there’s no one reason, meaning or function; it isn’t the same for every person or for the same person every time.”

Misconceptions about self harm stem from people focusing on the manifestation of the problem – the injury – rather than recognising the problem itself, O’Connor says. She explained that while most people would cry or break things when they felt sadness or anger, those who engage in self-harm can feel unable to release their emotions in the same ways.

“The most important thing is for people to feel respected and not judged,” she said “If someone is given the space and support to express their emotions in a healthier way they will learn to stop self harming.”

For more information on self harm or depression visit Pieta House and Aware.