Name:Claire
Age:18
Sex:female
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Age when you first self-injured: 13-14
How long have you been self-injuring (months, years):4 years

What are/were some of your triggers (i.e. fights with parents, school work, getting dumped, etc.)?

What did you know about self-injury before you started? How? I didn't know much about it. A friend of mine had told me about some people from her school.

What made you start self-injuring? (the specific incident or trigger if you can remember) A friend carved a heart on her and me once and then i thought I'd try it out and it made me feel better.

Why do/did you self-injure? How does/did it make you feel better? I got addicted to it and it helps me calm down if i'm stressed out or feeling down. For me it kind of replaces crying - i tend not to cry very often.

How do/did you feel before, during, and after the self-injury? Immediately after I feel calm. The next day i either forget about it or i feel ashamed.

Have there been any health scares that resulted from your self-injury (emergency room visits, etc.)? Did you continue to self-injure despite this? No, there have been no health scares.

If you've been to a psychiatric hospital could you describe your experience? Did it help you? Why or why not?
No

If you still self-injure do you think you will ever stop? Do you want to stop? Why can't/won't you stop? I think I can stop, I've gone long periods of time without it. I hope I can stop for good in the future.

Have you been diagnosed with any mental disorders? If so, which ones (OCD, Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, etc.)? No.

Hope this helps Good luck with the article