Self Harm Awareness Day

I don't care if it's irrelevant and I don't care if it's a bit late in the day, self harm is a very important issue and one close to me. A lot of people think it's just your sort of archetypal 'emo' that self-harms, and that they'll do it as some kind of extremely melodramatic form of temper tantrum whenever they don't get their own way.
It's not. Self harm affects a much wider variety of people than that, and it's a lot more serious than that. It's not just cutting, either, a lot of things come under the term 'self harm'. Hitting, burning, breaking bones, pretty much anything they can find. It's not as a temper tantrum, it's a serious issue caused by the anguish brought on by various mental disorders or other trauma. People do it for a lot of reasons; a cry for help, to seek control, to punish themselves, or just because they need the pain to feel calm and real.
If you see someone with cuts or burns, don't ridicule them, you don't know what they've been through. They're very upset and they need your help and compassion. Let them know you're there for them, but don't go spreading it around. If you feel like you can handle what they might tell you, then let them know they can talk to you, and if not, help them find a doctor or psychologist - there are a lot out there, because self harm affects 400 out of every 100,000 people in the UK, and that's just what we know from the people who've come forward, and that takes a lot of strength. There are so many more out there who are afraid to come forward because of how people react towards self-harm and how they'll be judged.

If you self harm or know someone who does, check out these sites:
S.A.F.E. (for the US)    Befrienders (International)    NSHN (UK)    Harmless (UK)
There's even more than that out there - there are always people willing to help you.
Here, have a song - Hold On Till May by Pierce The Veil feat. Lindsey Stamey