Self-harm is when you purposely hurt yourself as a way to cope with difficult emotions. Self-harm may bring you relief from intense emotional pain, but the relief is often short-lived. If you struggle with the following, there are 6 helplines available in Belgium that can offer you support:

Feeling the need to escape or numb your feelings
Feeling reckless, not caring whether you get hurt
Drinking a lot or taking drugs
Feeling like you need a physical release for your emotions
Feeling like normal ways of coping don't work for you – the pain is a last resort
Feeling anxious or on-edge when you can't self-harm
Feeling like self-harm is the only thing keeping you going
Searching for ways to self-harm

Since self-harm provides immediate, in-the-moment relief from painful emotions, it’s easy to become reliant on it as your go-to coping mechanism. Stopping may seem impossible and you may be ashamed to even talk about it. However, self-harm is more common than you think. Many people struggle to manage intense emotions.

Talking about how you feel can be difficult,, especially if you tend to bottle things up. But talking can offer you a healthy alternative for releasing negative emotions. Helpline counselors in Belgium want to listen to you and support you. They can help you find ways to feel better without hurting yourself.

If you are ready to talk to someone about self harm, you can contact a hotline in Belgium for free and confidential support.