Author: Rachel Welch

Tattooing Self-Harm Scars Away?

Tattooing Self-Harm Scars Away?

Posted by | Mar 8, 2016 | , , |

I’ve lost count of the number of emails I’ve had over the years from people desperate to know how to ‘get rid’ of scars caused by acts of self-harm. There’s normally a flurry right before summer, and people will often get in touch ahead of weddings or even having children. Of course, there’s no way to ‘get rid’ of scars completely, and I’ve met many people who have been quick to admit that had they fully understood the permanence of scarring at the time, they may have made different choices about how – and where they hurt themselves. Hindsight...

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Self-Harm: it affects adults too

Self-Harm: it affects adults too

Posted by | Mar 1, 2016 | , |

It’s National Self-Harm Awareness Day, a hugely important day for anyone impacted by self-harm (for more on why, see yesterday’s post – http://wp.me/p70OkR-6z) and an opportunity for us to challenge common misconceptions and reinforce truth. This year I’m reinforcing this one: self-harm affects adults too. I’m PASSIONATELY in favour of providing all the help and support I can possibly muster to reach young people and stop them going from where so many of us have been, but it’s really important we acknowledge that self-harm is a very real issue for many, many adults – and we need to be...

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Why Self-Harm Day Still Matters

Why Self-Harm Day Still Matters

Posted by | Feb 29, 2016 | , |

March the 1st is globally recognized as being National Self-Harm Awareness Day, during which different organisations and groups set out to promote a positive message of hope for anyone affected by self-harm. Until recently issues such as self-harm and eating disorders didn’t receive much in the way of column inches in the media so events such as National Self-Harm Awareness Day (NSHAD) and Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which ended yesterday, were opportunities to raise the profiles of these illnesses and reach out to those suffering in silence. But are campaigns like this still relevant? Times have changed and we...

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Open letter: eating disorders in work

Open letter: eating disorders in work

Posted by | Feb 26, 2016 | , |

It’s not easy to keep your eating disorder out of the workplace, is it? You start with the best intentions – planning lunch carefully, being meticulous about coping when someone has a birthday and you’re suddenly surrounded by cake; having a cast iron strategy for dealing with post-work drinks and meals, and navigating leaving parties like a pro… but slowly the small cracks appear. At first it’s easy to patch up the slips; everyone has a careless day and it’s hardly like anyone would notice. But cracks have a habit of growing, and before you know it your eating...

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Relapse #EDAW2016

Relapse #EDAW2016

Posted by | Feb 24, 2016 | , |

There’s something about the word ‘relapse’ that evokes a difficult, sinking sensation in the pit of your stomach. It’s not a happy word, not a hopeful word. It doesn’t celebrate past successes but sings loudly of current failings. Relapse, relapse, relapse: you’ve failed again. Slipped, fallen and allowed the thing you fear the most to creep back in. You didn’t see it to begin with. It idly peeped out from its hiding place and you briefly made eye contact; so brief, in fact, that you didn’t even notice. But IT did. Eye contact turned into a meaningful glance, and...

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