How to help someone in a self harm emergency

If someone you know has injured themselves or has the intention to injure themselves through self harm, it can be a frightening experience. The safety of the person should be your top priority. Getting professional help is the best thing to do.

What should I do if someone has severely hurt themselves through self harm?

Not all self harm is life threatening or requires immediate medical attention. However, there are situations where someone’s life or health is at risk, such as if they have badly cut themselves and are bleeding heavily, caused severe burns to their body, or overdosed or poisoned themselves. In these situations, you will need to get emergency help. If you are unsure if you need to get medical help, it is best to be safe and call for help anyway.

If you live close to a hospital

If someone has severely injured themselves through self harm, the first thing you need to do is call an ambulance on 999 (for Ireland) or 112 (works in Ireland and the EU). Let the person who is hurt know that you are going to call for help before doing so.

If the injured individual says they do not want medical help, it is crucial to call regardless. Although you may wish to assist the person on your own, it’s important to recognise that you are not medically trained to do so. In this situation, their safety comes first. 

When you call the emergency services, be honest and let them know how the person injured themselves and how bad the injuries are. The more accurate and relevant the information you provide, the better they will be able to help you. Ask them for advice on how to help the person until the emergency services arrive, and try to follow their instructions carefully.

If you live in a rural area

If you live in a rural area it might take a long time for an ambulance to reach you. If this is the case, contact your nearest medical practitioner such as a GP, nurse or someone who is trained in first aid. Let them know that it is an emergency and that you have called an ambulance but you need help until they arrive. If the emergency happens during the evening, night or on a weekend, you can call the GP out of hours services who may be able to send a doctor.

How to help someone who has overdosed

If you suspect someone has ingested a toxic substance or overdosed on a drug, it’s crucial to get medical help immediately. Call emergency services if you’re unsure whether they’ve taken something or they are showing any of the following signs:

• Loss of consciousness
• Pale skin or bluish fingertips/lips
• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or wheezing, especially if the person has a pre-existing condition such as asthma and usual remedies such as inhalers are not working
• Prolonged chest pain not relieved with rest
• Heart palpitations, such as the heart beating very fast, very noticeably or irregularly

For more information on what to say to emergency services, how to help when someone is unconscious or overheating, and how to put someone in a recovery position, read about how to help a friend in a drug emergency.

How to help someone who is bleeding heavily

If someone has self harmed and is bleeding heavily, follow these steps:

• Try to stay calm and let the injured person know that help is coming
• Remove any clothing from the wound
• Do not try to clean the wound
• Get a sterile bandage or clean cloth and put it on the wound
• Press down firmly on the bandage/cloth with your palm to control the bleeding
• Keep pressure on the wound until the bleeding stops or help arrives
• Wrap the bandage/cloth around the wound to help keep pressure on it
• If the person has injured their hands or arms, if they can, get them to raise their injuries to above the level of their heart
• Help the injured person lie down and try to keep them warm
• If the blood comes through the cloth/bandage add another to it and keep pressing firmly on it
• Again reassure the person that everything is okay and help is on the way
• If they are panicking, keep talking to them calmly, try to get them to focus on their breathing and offer to get them some water

What should I do if someone is threatening to harm or kill themselves?

If someone is threatening to harm or kill themselves:

• If it is safe to do so, take away the thing they are threatening to harm themselves with
• Contact the emergency services on 999 or 112
• Stay with the person and let them know you have called for help
• If you need more support call for someone you trust to come and help you
• Once the emergency services arrive go with them to the hospital to support them

Remember that although you may want to help the person you are not medically trained to be able to do so.

If the person becomes angry or tries to make you feel guilty for calling for help, you still have to do so, as it is the best thing for them in that situation.