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Hi there,
It can be difficult to find out a friend might be struggling with things in their life and it’s natural to find it hard to know what to do. It could be important to let your friend know that they have your support. The advice about helping a friend page has some good ideas about where to start. You might like to suggest your friend look at the ChildLine website themselves where they can find lots of information and advice or talk to a counsellor. It could help to look at our information about self-harm.
Lots of young people use self-harm as a way to cope with difficult feelings. It’s important to try and not judge them for that. It can be very worrying when you feel a friend could be putting themselves at risk in this way.
You might want to think about talking to an adult you trust as a way to get some help and support, for yourself or your friend. It’s important to do that when you feel ready to talk and to choose the right person to talk to. If you are not feeling ready to talk to someone in your life, ChildLine counsellors are always there to listen and support you.
Take care,
Sam
Contact a counsellor online or call 0800 1111. Calls are free and confidential.