"In a world that wants people to conform, you gave me the chance to talk without feeling like I was a statistic"

I self-harmed a lot in my early teens. On my parents finding out I stopped cutting but developed an eating disorder. On going to University things settled down but on breaking up with my boyfriend things spiralled out of control and I ended up in hospital after cutting my wrist. This service was invaluable to me to feel calmer about my situation and I was far better understood than I have been by doctors. I did not feel judged and was allowed to express my feelings. In a world that wants people to conform and not put strain on services the opportunity to safely offload is not always available but the helpline call gave me the chance to talk through my experiences and upset without feeling like a statistic or that I was taking up someone's time unnecessarily.