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PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. They are then posted on this site and across social media.

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Limited spaces - Tickets available online sold-out

If this fills-up, I will do another one next week.

This week I am scheduling the PostSecret Live! virtual tour. Over the next six to eight weeks I will be speaking remotely on college campuses around the world revealing the transformative power of our secrets and showing pandemic secrets from young people.

This interactive presentation will reveal the struggles students are experiencing in their own words, but also the successes they are discovering and the strategies they are finding to thrive during this challenging but temporary crisis.

If you are a student leader, college counselor, or activities programmer learn more about bringing PostSecret to your school virtually as part of your mental wellness programing.

Pandemic Secrets: Struggles, Successes and Strategies.

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Limited spaces - Tickets available online sold-out If this fills-up, I will do another one next week. This week I am scheduling the PostSecret Live! virtual tour. Over the next six to eight weeks I will be speaking remotely on college campuses around the world revealing the transformative power of our secrets and showing pandemic secrets from young people.

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If you’re feeling suicidal and need help right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the U.S. at (800) 273-8255.

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There are endless resources at HelpGuide.org to provide you with information on self-harm. You are not alone in this! Click below if you need more information.

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Jeff Williams (jawilli@bgsu.edu)

Alex Thornton (adthorn@bgsu.edu)

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Self-harm can take many forms in people. There might be multiple reason why a person might self-harm. Usually, self-harm in young people starts as a way to cope with their individual problems they are facing which causes severe feelings and emotions. This soon turns into a serious problem because self-harm can take an addictive form and be hard for a person to break free from the cycle.

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Young people have shared their most successful ones with us, and these are:

Hitting a punch bag to vent anger and frustration

Using a red felt tip pen to mark where you might usually cut

Hitting pillows or cushions, or having a good scream into a pillow or cushion

Rubbing ice across your skin where you might usually cut, or holding an ice-cube i n the crook of your arm or leg

Getting outdoors and having a fast walk

All other forms of exercise – these are really good at changing your mood and releasing adrenaline

Making lots of noise, either with a musical instrument or just banging on pots and pans

Scribbling on a large piece of paper with a red crayon or pen

Writing negative feelings on a piece of paper and then ripping it up

Keeping a journal

Putting elastic bands on wrists, arms or legs and flicking them instead of cutting or hitting

Calling and talking to a friend (not necessarily about self-harm)

Collage or artwork – doing something creative

Getting online and looking at self-help websites

Mentalhealth.org

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What are some thoughts on people who self-harm?

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What are some thoughts on people who self-harm?

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Young people who self-harm usually feel very guilty and ashamed of what they do, and do not want to talk about it. The stigma associated with self-harm is unhelpful, and stops people getting the support and information they need to find better and more helpful ways of coping. (MentalHealth.org)

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Unexplained cuts or bruises

Kids who have trouble modulating emotional states especially sadness, fear and anger are at higher risk for self-injury.

Low self-esteem as evidenced by a tendency to self-denigrate

Arms and legs are always covered such as wearing cold weather clothes

Presence of an eating disorder and possible substance abuse also seems to related to risk for self-injury (S.A.F.E)

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"The walk to recovery may be long, but the light at the end of the tunnel keeps me going. It is my motivation. It is my hope. It is my future." -Anonymous 

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"The walk to recovery may be long, but the light at the end of the tunnel keeps me going. It is my motivation. It is my hope. It is my future." -Anonymous 

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Check out this Website for more Information:

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Check out this Website for more Information:

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S.A.F.E. Alternatives (Self-Abuse Finally Ends)
10 Bergman Ct
Forest Park, IL 60302
Toll-Free Number: 800-DON’T CUT (800-366-8288)
Website URL: http://www.selfinjury.com/

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Seek out your school counselor

Know that help is available.  Treatment is available for people who injure themselves. To learn about it, try talking to a professional person around you, someone like your school counselor.  If you’re not comfortable with that, think about contacting your local mental health association or checking out the S.A.F.E Alternatives website.

Know you are not alone.  Because so many people are self-injurers, it’s likely that there are people around who can understand and can help.

Know you can get better.  This is a difficult time in your life.  However, with help, you can get to the point where you don’t hurt yourself anymore.

Get help. Now is the best time to get help with this problem. If you wait, the problem will only get bigger and soon everyone will know about it.  But if you find a way to meet it head on today, you’ll be free of it and free to get on with your life. Free! A good way to be. (Mental Health America)

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Self-injurers often lack self-control of the addictive-like nature of their acts, which may lead them to true suicide attempts. The self-injury behaviors may also cause more harm than intended, which could result in medical complications or death. Eating disorders and alcohol or substance abuse intensify the threats to the individual’s overall health and quality of life. (Mental Health America)

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It’s estimated that about two million people in the U.S. injure themselves in some way.  The majority are teenagers or young adults with young women outnumbering young men. They are of all races and backgrounds.

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It is very difficult to tell whether someone is self-harming. Here are some warning signs a person might display if they are self-harming:

Insist on covering up their bodies – even when it is warm

May avoid activities that involve showing themselves – such as swimming or games

Secretive behavior

Wanting to be alone a lot of the time

Emotional distress

Becoming withdrawn, quiet, appearing ‘washed out’

Lack of energy

(MentalHealth.org)

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What Do I Do If Someone I Love Self-Injures?

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What Do I Do If Someone I Love Self-Injures?

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Ask about it. If your loved one is hurting herself, she may be glad to have you bring it up so she can talk about it.  If she’s not injuring herself, she’s not going to start just because you said something about it.

Get Informed. Using sites like this to learn about self-injury can help you to understand why it happens and to develop a compassionate but firm approach to helping your loved one stop this dangerous behavior.

Do your best not to judge or criticize. These actions could increase the risk of self-injuring behavior. Offer support but refrain from telling him/her what he or she has to or should do.

Let your loved one know that you care no matter what. Continue to remind your loved one that he or she is not alone and that you are there to support them.

Remember you’re not responsible for ending the self-abuse.  You can’t make your friend stop hurting himself or get help from a professional. The only sure thing you can do is keep being a good friend.

Share your ideas for coping strategies. Your loved one could benefit from hearing your strategies to deal with stress. You can also model appropriate strategies yourself.

Find support. Consider talking to others who have gone through the same experience. Keep in close touch with professionals if possible. Look for support groups for parents, family members or friends of those who self-injure. Remember you can

Take care of yourself, too!

(mayoclinic.org, Mental Health America)

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One of the most common stereotypes associated with self-harm is the belief that a person is only doing it to ’seek attention.' In reality, most of the time when a person is self-harming they are doing it in secret and they might have done it in secret for a long time. It can be very hard for young people doing self-injurious behaviors to ask for help! (MentalHealth.org)

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What are some of the reasons people may self-harm?

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What are some of the reasons people may self-harm?

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When asked about the issues that led them to self-harm, young people most often said it was linked with:

Being bullied at school

Not getting on with parents

Stress and worry about school work and exams

Feeling isolated

Not getting on with parents or other family members

Parents getting divorced

Bereavement

Unwanted pregnancy

Experience of abuse earlier in childhood

Current abuse – physical, sexual or verbal

The self-harm or suicide of someone close to them

Struggles with sexuality

Struggles with race, culture or religion

Low self-esteem

Feelings of rejection socially or within their families (MentalHealth.org)

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Among respondents in a two college study, 1 in 5 self-injurious students indicated that they had hurt themselves more than intended at least once and 1 in 10 indicated that they had hurt themselves so badly that they should have been seen by a medical professional; but only 6.5% had ever been treated for any of their wounds (Whitlock et al., 2006). Prevalence rates are difficult to find, as most studies only cite the number of individuals who seek medical help.

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Contrary to popular belief, the majority of people who self-harm are not trying to kill themselves. Instead, these individuals are trying to cope with difficult emotions or situations.

However, most people who commit suicide have self-harmed in the past, and therefore self-harm should be taken very seriously.

(mentalhealth.org)

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If you are worried about yourself or a friend while at school, be sure to see your School Counselor. We are here to help you!

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People who self-harm typically work very hard to keep it a secret. They can be hurting themselves over a great length of time and not disclose it to family members or friends. They will cut or harm themselves in locations that are not visible to others. Most common locations are to wrists, stomach and thighs.

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It can affect MANY things in a person's life. It can play a role in the clothes an individual wears, to the kind of sports or activities they participate in, as well as their relationships with family, friends, and teachers. (MentalHealth.org)

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In the day-to-day life of the people who self-harm they will try to keep what they are doing a secret from others, even their closest friends. These individuals might try and hide their scars and bruises from when they self-harm. (MentalHealth.org)

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Self-harm is the deliberate infliction of damage to your own body, and includes cutting, burning, and other forms of injury. While cutting can look like attempted suicide, it's not; most people who mutilate themselves do it as a way to regulate mood. People who hurt themselves in this way may be motivated by a need to distract themselves from inner turmoil, or to quickly release anxiety that builds due to an inability to express intense emotions.

(Direct quote provided by Psychology Today)

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Recognize situations or emotions that are likely to trigger your urge to self-injure. Actively create a plan for other ways to get support for yourself so that you're ready the next time you have the desire to hurt yourself.

Connect with others who can support you so that you don't feel alone. Reach out to a family member or friend, school counselor, contact a support group or doctor.

Discover ways to express emotions in positive ways. Recommendations include becoming more physically active, practicing relaxation techniques or participate in creative arts like art, music or dance.

Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs. These substances can affect your ability to make good decisions and can raise your risk-taking level.

Avoid websites that support or glamorize self-injury. Instead, look for sites that support your recovery.

(mayoclinic.org)

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If you or a loved one needs help in coping, consider the tips below. If there's a focus on thoughts of suicide, you or your loved one can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24-hour crisis line at 800-273-8255 (800-273-TALK).

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The most common method of self-harm is cutting; however, there are many modalities including:

burning

scalding

banging or scratching one's body

breaking bones

pulling hair/skin

swallowing poisonous substances

self-bruising

(mentalhealth.org)