Week 2 Unit 2 Lesson 1 (SQA Mental Health) - Allana McLean | Library | Formative

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Draggable item		Corresponding Item
Tension releasers		Watching funny films on YouTube, having a bath, reading a book, playing computer games, engaging in social media, listening to music, etc.
Physical		Talking to a friend, playing with a pet, helping a friend in need, etc.
Spiritual		Making a pros and cons list, inspirational quotes, brainstorming solutions, etc.
Social and interpersonal		Punching a punch bag, crying, humour, exercise, etc.
Limit setting		Healthy routines, healthy food, getting enough sleep, deep breathing exercises etc.
Diversions		Praying, meditating, getting involved in a worthy cause etc.
Cognitive coping		Prioritising important tasks, being assertive, building confidence around responsibility, ‘me time’ etc.

Draggable item		Corresponding Item
Myth: When people self-harm they don’t feel the pain		Fact: Due to the private nature of self-harm it is not easy to say who does it. Statistically speaking females are more likely to access support but anyone can self-harm regardless of age stage and sexuality. People will not necessarily present as depressed or morbid. For some people it is not possible to express their emotional pain in other ways.
Myth: Only teenage girls and emo’s who self harm		Fact: People who self-harm may feel suicidal, but they are not necessarily related. Self-harm is a person’s attempt to temporarily survive and feel better whereas suicide is a permanent end to life. Childline advises many children who self-harm are describing a cathartic and emotional release from anger and frustration due to difficult family circumstances. For others it is an expression of extreme emotional pain and sadness.
Myth: People who self-harm must be told to stop		Fact: Self-harm is an expression of extreme emotional pain; it is unlikely the person is thinking about the impact on others during self-harm. They may feel regret after, but it is ultimately a way of communicating an emotion which they are unable to verbalise or express in any other way.
Myth: People self-harm to hurt or manipulate others		Fact: Self harm is about feeling something. Sometimes when people self-harm they are so distressed that they can experience what is known as a dissociative fugue or “zone out”. People who self-harm describe feeling ‘numb or dead inside’. The act of self-harm reminds them they are alive and can still feel. Some people have expressed it is a means of self-punishment.
Myth: The severity of the self-harm reflects the severity of the person’s problem		Fact: People self-harm for many reasons and this is linked to resilience, self-care and the types of coping strategies they have learned works for them. Some people are able to cope with life and traumatic experiences better than others. This is based on variety of factors influencing wellbeing including, social, personal, cultural and environmental. All self-harm even if it appears superficial, should be taken seriously as that person is trying to say they are struggling to deal with whatever is happening for them
Myth: People who self-harm are suicidal		Fact: Attempting to stop someone from self-harming could potentially escalate risk to that person. Self-harm is a coping strategy which is keeping that person alive. It is more important to try and understand the reasons why a person is self-harming and support them to find other ways of coping. Most services try to work with people on the basis of risk minimisation.