800-448-3000Should I Tell Someone?
Question
I have been cutting for a little while now. I just recently started cutting my arm, I play softball and we got new types of uniforms with are short sleeves and we don't have our long sleeves yet. I realized that someone may see the cuts. This made me think that I should tell someone. I was wondering what do I say to them to tell them what I am doing?
Counselor response
We are so glad that you are reaching out to ylyv and are starting to think about telling someone about your cutting. This takes a lot of courage. We know that your uniform brought about your thoughts of telling someone but you are still open to it and thinking of ways to approach this. Good for you!
In situations like this it's best to be honest. Pick an adult that you trust and then ask them if they have time to talk. If you don't feel like you can say the words out loud, simply show them your arm or print off this email and show it to them. The adult may have some questions, answer them as best as you can and if there are questions that you don't know the answers to, simply tell them that you don't know. We have a worksheet tool that might help you to sort out your feelings before you talk to someone:
If you get a chance check out this whole section of tips and tools:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns with us. We will be here for you anytime you would like to talk further. Our hotline 1-800-448-3000 is open 24/7 or you can TEXT VOICE to 20121 noon-midnight CST.
We are here for you.
Sara, Counselor