Cutting and suicide can be pretty intimidating things to deal with when your friend tells you she’s struggling. In this video several youth workers and one teenager give their advice about how to best help your friend when they come to you with this kind of information. You may feel like there’s not much you can do, but there is! And if you’re watching this video and you cut or are having thoughts about suicide, there IS hope even if you don’t feel it right now. The hurt and pain you’re feeling doesn’t have to last forever. Don’t make a permanent decision based on a temporary feeling. Check out some of the links below and please tell a trusted adult you know who can help. It’ll be the best thing you ever did. We love you guys! LINKS ON CUTTING goo.gl – Cutting//Emo//Hope//God goo.gl – Tips for helping a cutter find relief goo.gl – To Write Love On Her Arms amzn.to – “A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain” CONTRIBUTOR CHANNELS Mark – www.youtube.com Joshua – www.youtube.com Dana – www.youtube.com Josh – www.youtube.com Tim – www.youtube.com ASK YOUR QUESTION ANONYMOUSLY www.formspring.me SUBMIT A VIDEO QUESTION dropbox.yousendit.com LET’S CONNECT! www.facebook.com twitter.com GETOUR WEEKLY VIDEOS VIA EMAIL eepurl.com RSS FEED FOR OUR VIDEOS feeds.feedburner.com DISCLAIMER We are not professional counselors nor therapists. We’re just youth workers who love teenagers and give information and encouragement based on our experiences in the field. This …
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fungamingPS3 says:
December 25, 2011 at 9:13 am (UTC 0)
my guy mate is feeling suicidal my mum is out and i dont know what to do
golnazrocks says:
December 25, 2011 at 9:50 am (UTC 0)
I cut and it is really addictive,
Sort of like a habit
I still need some help!
Any advice?
tineeeable says:
December 25, 2011 at 10:49 am (UTC 0)
@Greymist222 They are still “true cutters”! Cutting is in this case the only way they can think of to ease their pain and get attention, feel loved and see that someone worries!
deadlypython337 says:
December 25, 2011 at 11:15 am (UTC 0)
@Greymist222 man that must have really sucked, almost the same thing happened to me, I think that was one of the worst experiences of my life, telling an adult about something like that and then they just freak out and in my case just say I can’t help you. I feel bad for your friend, I know how hard it is to trust adults after that believe me, but not all adults are like that…
Greymist222 says:
December 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm (UTC 0)
@YouthQuestions I told a friend to go to an adult for help and they shipped her off to a psych ward. she came back angry and even worse and they just drugged her up. It made me sad so I don’t trust adults to help anymore.
YouthQuestions says:
December 25, 2011 at 12:27 pm (UTC 0)
@XXKsbutterflygirlXX You’re right! Thanks for pointing that out. We didn’t address that since that wasn’t the case of the person who asked the question, but thanks for bringing that up here in the comments.
XXKsbutterflygirlXX says:
December 25, 2011 at 1:02 pm (UTC 0)
just because you cut or self harm in most cases does NOT mean youre suicidal! just saying. Self mutilation is a way for people to cope with emotional feelings etc..
YouthQuestions says:
December 25, 2011 at 2:00 pm (UTC 0)
@Greymist222 That’s very true, thanks for bringing that up. It wasn’t really pertinent to the question asked, so I didn’t say that, but you’re right — the cases you don’t know about are the most serious ones. I would definitely do what you said and just tell them that you’re there and support them the best you can. However, I’d also encourage them to talk with an adult, not because adults are always right, but because it helps the person commit to getting better. Telling an adult is a big step.
14ayahme says:
December 25, 2011 at 2:49 pm (UTC 0)
@Greymist222 Her mum kicked her out Monday, she came back at midnight because she needed to pee – th police came round and she was in school the next day with her mum still not knowing where she was… Head teacher got them both into councilling again…
Yesterday her mum got re-married . She was the maid of honour but she hates her ”step-dad” and refuses to call him that….
I wouldn’t call her selfish just a bit naive – then again aren’t we all?
Greymist222 says:
December 25, 2011 at 3:15 pm (UTC 0)
@14ayahme :/ She’s being awfully selfish towards everyone from the sounds of it. But you can’t help the unwilling. Just be there for her in case she really screws herself up bad. She’ll need someone who loves her to catch her when she hits rock bottom. Don’t even talk to her about it. Just talk about everything else so maybe she’ll see what she’s missing.
Greymist222 says:
December 25, 2011 at 3:55 pm (UTC 0)
@hollie2505 Hollie, I know what you’re going through (partly). I’ve got a nagging depression. Today my doctor said she thinks I’m anemic and did you know anemia gives off signs of depression? so go to a doctor (you can talk to them alone your parents don’t need to hear anything). See what they say. Don’t mention the cutting unless it’s really really serious. people always overreact to “a couple of times” of cutting. if you fix the depression you’ll stop cutting anyway. Good luck, God Bless.
Greymist222 says:
December 25, 2011 at 4:25 pm (UTC 0)
My suggestion for people who are cutters or who love someone who cuts themselves: Sometimes…just sometimes…these people will do these things for the attention you give them by worrying. A true “cutter” does not tell people. They keep it inside and fester. You’d never be able to tell. Don’t tell them to see an adult just tell them you’re there. challenge them to stop or find a motivation to get them to. kids don’t always need adults. adults don’t always do what’s right.
YouthQuestions says:
December 25, 2011 at 5:15 pm (UTC 0)
@flysohightothemoon It sounds like your friend needs something to live for. At the risk of coming across too churchy, I’d suggest that unless he has God in his life, he’s always going to be searching for something that he can’t find apart from God. If you have a youth pastor or if a friend of yours does, see if you can talk with that person about your friend and work together to help him.
flysohightothemoon says:
December 25, 2011 at 5:50 pm (UTC 0)
one of my good friends are suicidal, and he cuts himself. it kills me inside! he tells me he’s ok, but i know he’s not. he attempted suicide a couple months ago, and went to see a councelor, they told him he was fine, but yesterday, he told me he was tired of life, and he is cutting again. he wasnt at school today, and he sent me a message saying that he is fine, not to worry, and he is getting help. but i feel like he doesnt want it, and i cry just thinking about it! i love him, and i need him!
14ayahme says:
December 25, 2011 at 6:30 pm (UTC 0)
@YouthQuestions Butnow she’s getting fraped – the person frapping her is saying some really nasty things and saying she’s fat. She’s already anorexic – but she’s not talking to me!
YouthQuestions says:
December 25, 2011 at 7:19 pm (UTC 0)
@14ayahme Yeah, it’s really hard to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. In that case, the best thing you can do is to continue to be there for your friend, support them, and tell adults who can help, but ultimately there’s not much you can do for someone who doesn’t want any help. That’s really tough for a caring friend like yourself to stand by and watch. :-/
14ayahme says:
December 25, 2011 at 7:36 pm (UTC 0)
Umm I have a friend who cuts, and this is going to sound really weird, because she’s fascinated by it. Like the blood and everyhing. She’s been to 3 different councillers and got kicked out of the last session. She’s been having problems with her mum – and been having supervised session for that. We’ve all tried talking to her but she shrugs it off. What should I do?
Abigail4724 says:
December 25, 2011 at 8:20 pm (UTC 0)
thanks for making these videos! keep it up!
2424CURT2424 says:
December 25, 2011 at 8:52 pm (UTC 0)
Maybe contact a doctor as well, believe it or not, depression and suicidal thoughts are considered mental illnesses and the proper medication can and will help get someone in this situation back to a normal state of mind.
YouthQuestions says:
December 25, 2011 at 9:05 pm (UTC 0)
@hollie2505 I totally understand that you don’t want an adult to know. You think maybe they’ll think something is wrong you with, send you to see a therapist you don’t wanna see, make a big deal about it, etc. And I can’t tell you that none of that will happen, but know that they react the way they do because they care about you, otherwise there’d be no reaction at all, right? The best thing you can do to start overcoming the depression and cutting that occasionally happens is to tell someone.
YouthQuestions says:
December 25, 2011 at 9:23 pm (UTC 0)
@greeniedawn1 Wow, I’m so sorry to hear that.
Hopefully others will learn from their mistake here.
YouthQuestions says:
December 25, 2011 at 9:25 pm (UTC 0)
@marynellie8 Good advice! Thanks for sharing that, and I hope maybe this video helps you in some small way, as well.
hollie2505 says:
December 25, 2011 at 9:42 pm (UTC 0)
Rip mitchell
hollie2505 says:
December 25, 2011 at 10:41 pm (UTC 0)
i have been struggling with depression for about a year and a half now! and i have cut a couple of times and the thing is that the people you do want to talk to and really close to will tell you parents and some people,, like me dont want them to know. it just makes it realllly arkward and stuff.. and like life is really hard sometimes you just have to think goood,, and i have only just discovered that,, and i lost a close friend,, he was depressed and he comitted suicide,, that was a sad day
greeniedawn1 says:
December 25, 2011 at 10:56 pm (UTC 0)
I lost a nephew because his friends didn’t tell an adult. r.i.p. John