The Answerer

What do I think?  Old guys like me (87 yo. now) have never lived with self harm, or lived with people who do self harm. It seems so very sad to me. I know very little about it.

Modern society spawns (makes and develops) this thing – it makes some people feel bad about themselves, but underneath they are just like other people but haunted by the idea that something is wrong with them and they must strive to fix it. These wrong ideas need to be exposed as a lie (a fraud). (I personally think that some TV shows kind make many of us want to be like TV and Pop stars who have teams of people to make look so good – or bad. They are false really and quite a few die of drugs and mental health problems.)

Some modern e-mails, ‘Facebook’ or SMS, and many other forms of electronic ‘messages’ sent by some people, are to me, from  utterly, gutless people who send anonymous vulgar messages and do not sign off with their name!!  These messages come from corrupt and evil minds.

AND advertising is the biggest curse of our civilisation. Let me explain that. Every TV ad, magazine ad, radio ad, and newspaper ad – plus all the junk mail in our letterboxes – want YOU to buy their ‘stuff’ so you’ll be OK, accepted, be happy, and be smiling all day with lots of friends. RUBBISH!!  Happiness does not come from toys, iPads, clothes, a bottle of grog, drugs, or a big new car. I think that all the advertisements I’ve mentioned make some people feel inadequate, not good enough and not as good as they could be because the ads paint a picture of the ‘perfect’ boy or girl. SO, ”I’ll work hard at being really good,” to be accepted.

There is also another possible problem with somebody – even a family member – abusing the self-harming person. Abusing by constantly telling the victim they are ‘useless’ and will never be any good. Also, maybe sexually abusing them or even belting or hitting them. This is now a criminal offence in some countries. This must stop – by the victim – the self-harmer, telling someone about it until somebody understands the problem and helps put an end to it.  Too often victims are not believed.

When a person is hurting they feel inadequate and so say, “I’ll cut myself and that makes me feel better.” It might for a while, but it does not work for long. A good friend is needed. A really good friend or a person who has known what it feels like to want to hurt yourself.

A true friend, a wise counselor, a Chaplain, or a doctor can help – and you may not know it but Jesus – if you ask for his help, can be a real help too. Ask a Christian to pray with the one who is in trouble, not once but often, regularly.

Remember: “A problem shared is a problem halved.” (My mum again, she always helped people). May God bring some help to the one who needs it.

Phone help lines are there too;

KIDS HELPLINE (in Australia)is 1800 551 800 or on-line www.kidshelp.com.au

And LIFELINE: (in Australia) 13 11 14, or on-line www.lifelinewa.org.au

I am not a PC Geek but the www.beyondblue or Beyond Blue sure has a lot of different help phone numbers. Your local phone book will list help somewhere. This organisation was started by a state Premier in Australia who lost an election and got depressed.