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- Profile views: 3,534
- Group created: January 2008
- Official website:
- www.firstsigns.org.uk
- Part of:
- Bebo Be Well
- Tagline
- The first place to turn to when signs of self-harm appear
- Me, Myself, and I
- FirstSigns is an online, user-led voluntary organisation, that raises awareness and provides information and support to people of all ages affected by self-harm or self-injury.
We recognise self-injury is a way of coping with distressing experiences and difficult emotions, and we encourage people to reflect on the issues behind their self-injury, and explore alternative coping mechanisms.
FirstSigns is managed and led by people with personal experience of self-injury, and we are non-judgemental, non-directional, and respectful of our members' and visitors' life experiences and perceptions.
The FirstSigns website is the centre of our vibrant community, and provides access to all our services, including our newsletter, message board and training.
We are very proud to be part of Bebo's <BeWell> project.
FirstSigns is also on Facebook and MySpace:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
http://www.myspace.com/MyLifeSIGNS
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Research, happiness, statistics and lies
What is it with researchers? Why is it that every study that comes out contradicts the previous one? One month coffee is good for the heart, the next it’s bad. One year mono-unsaturates are good for you, but these days we have to avoid ‘trans-fats’ – whatever they are. More people are staying in the UK for their holidays, but more people than ever are flying…
Research research research – we need research – hard facts and data to interpret, to inform and change our behaviour. As a society, our Government, or employers, our health-care workers, need evidence to base their actions on. It makes perfect sense of course – we can’t take action based on whims – we need to know what we’re doing and why. We need to know what has the biggest impact for the buck, so we can spend money wisely and reap the best rewards. But whose statistics do we trust?
Those skin-care adverts on the tele say that 73% of women tested agreed the cream made them appear youthful. Then you read the small print and you find that they tested 35 women. What’s 73% of 35? Hmm, so basically *some* women liked this product after we gave it to them for free for a month, and some others didn’t. It’s hardly relevant to the whole country is it, when they only ask a handful of selected people.
At FirstSigns, we never claim to know how many people in the UK or in the world self-injure or self-harm. We’re asked for the stat a lot – as if knowing whether it’s 100,000 or 150,000 people will help us reach those people.
At FirstSigns, we look for better ways to support our members and help the many thousands of people who visit our websites. So yes, we sometimes ask research questions, and yes, we get statistics from these. We learn a little more about self-injury, and a little more about our members, but we don’t go around claiming that answers from 1000 people represent the country.
We know that there are no statistics that will help an individual in distress.
This isn’t a numbers game; we’re in this because we know, from the inside, how lonely and despair-filled self-injury can be.
So, is the UK happy or sad? With all the research going on all the time (and yes, 3rd year University Pyschology Students often want to study depression and self-injury) do we know if the UK is getting happier or sadder?
Read the rest of this article at: http://blog.firstsigns.org.uk/2009/1...
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Please buy a wristband in November
Self-Injury Awareness Day (SIAD) is the 1st of March, 2010. That means that we'll sell loads of SI Awareness wristbands and keyrings in February.
Which is great! I mean, it's just fantastic to think so many people will be wearing our wristbands through March - it makes us proud of our members and supporters, and really helps our organisation's finances.
As you know, we're a voluntary org and we're unfunded. Everything we do, we do out of consideration for you, our visitors, not because it's our job to, or because we get paid to. FirstSigns is run by people with personal experience of self-injury for people affected by self-injury.
So as an unfunded organisation, designing and selling wristbands really helps us to pay for our website costs and our printing costs - everything that makes us exist if you see what I mean.
So we'd like to invite you to buy an orange wristband from us in November to help us now.
There's so much to do now. February and SIAD are just around the corner - we look forward to the increased interest in SI and in our services from people and from the media, but we need to prepare now, to make sure we're still running smoothly when SIAD comes around.
We're asking for your help now - we know lots of people will help us in February, but we're asking for your help now.
Please buy a wristband in November and help us survive and thrive in time for SIAD.
You'll be welcome to buy our new keyrings in February
0 Comments 3 days
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FirstSigns calendar - we need your help
We are busy planning for Self Injury Awareness Day on 1st March 2010, and we have loads of great ideas that will help make SIAD 2010 our best ever.
One of these is to produce a FirstSigns calendar, and we thought it would be great if some our members could get involved and help us with the pictures. So, we'd like to invite you to submit pictures of your artwork or photographs for possible inclusion in the calendar, our books and on our website.
Don't worry if you're not artistic; we're not looking for perfection here. All we ask is that your pictures are positive and / or inspiring; after all, they'll be viewed for a whole month in people's homes and offices!
If you're not into art or drawing, then maybe you'd like to take a photograph of something that makes you smile or that inspires you. It could be a tree, a favourite view, or even a pet! If you’re over 18 you are welcome to include yourself in the picture if you wish, but we are unable to publish pictures involving other people.
Please email you pictures or images to Jules@FirstSigns.org.uk and include the name you would like your picture published under (either your first name or a nickname) and one short sentence describing what the picture is.
Please ensure you send us the largest image your camera is able to take, as the ‘image quality’ needs to be high. This means the file you attach to your email will be quite large, so don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of minutes to send.
We've got some great pics already submitted to our Confessions / Expressions wall, and you're welcome to upload your artwork there still – right now we're asking for your artwork and photographs to be emailed in.
Many thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.
Wedge and Jules1 Comment 7 days
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An answerwhereas regular comments are quick and easy to use for those who tire and become bored easily of applications such as the whiteboard
Julie N 0 Replys
such artistic expression which can be shown on the whiteboard could be helpful to those who reuire a little something to keep them occupied even if it is simply...
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Comments? Whiteboard? Forum?
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Wedge B
There are certainly a lot of ways to leave your mark on a Bebo profile - which is best? What's the difference between a whiteboard comment and a Comment comment?!1 Reply 95 weeks
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Does your school / college / university have a policy regarding self-injury?
- No way.
- Kinda, we have a policy about emotional wellbeing...
- Sorta, as self-injury is mentioned in some of our policies.
- Yeah, we have a specific policy and self-injury can be talked about.
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LifeSIGNS little banners and stuff
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Your Art 1
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hi i'm 17. i self harm , i have attepted suicide 7 times , mmy tutors r keeping a close eye on me
I'm 18. Have had psychological problems from the age of 13. Self harmed from that age. Attempted suicide 6 times. Been hospitalised in a psychiatric hospital for 7 months to keep me safe. Am still having problems with myself.
Am losing the strength to keep going.
my brother need your guys help to stop cutting so plz help him or he's going be hospitalized for ever and i dont want that for him so plz help im scared for him ='[
We love to have our members participate and comment in FirstSigns Bebo group. Just to remind you we can not allow anything that may be triggering in any way.
Any comments with images or text that may cause others distress will be rejected.
This policy cover all our work including our website and message board over at http://firstsigns.org.uk
hi im 40, and i have cut since i was 13, and tried suicide , several times . im a borderline personality, i hate it and myself, for what i do, but theres just no stoppin sometimes. i feel absolutli empti inside and wnt to stop, its ruinin my famili, myself and evrithing i do ...
self harm is strange addiction, i thought it would my life better, it only made things worse
is that just me, or does anybody else feel that way?
i self harm
im not proud of it
but it is the only pain relief i can find that works
Have you got a cure for very sore eyes when a person is working on a LCD computer desktop from 9am to 1pm and after a while it will be 9am to 5pm and my eyes are really killing me.any ideas?
Hey! I started Cutting when I was in the 8th grade which was in 2000 and the last time I cut was about 4 yrs ago. I use to cut cause of my dads drinking and just school stuff. There's somedays when I'm feeling down I think about cutting but I know if I do it would get me back in trouble with si. I was wondering Do You Actually Ever Cured of Self Injury.. I'm not sure what do yall think.
i used to self harm when i was a teenager due to my dad being an alchoholic . he used to hit me ,my mam and mybrother.
now im 38 i amost self harmed last nite ( my ex left me in debts im trying to manage but its hard when yr on yr own to try to deal with it)
i always there in the back of my mind to self harm , how does anyone deal with it in their older yrs ??
Firstly, we need to accept that we don't know everything that's going on in his life or in their relationship. Hopefully he'll want to talk to a friend about what's stressing him out. Maybe that'll be you? People who self-harm need help and support to rely on new ways of coping, but it can be a long journey so patience and understanding is needed. We have a page and a fact sheet for guys on our main website.
ok
so heres a question im not 2sure if u can reply it
but ahhh
i know of some 1 who does harm himself
but he only does it when him & his partner have a disagreement or somethink.
or even if she dont believe him he cuts himself
its sad i dont know what 2do
what can be done?
woohoo finally found the bebo link
Are many of you guys starting Uni? Is it back to school / college for many of you?
Love to first signs,
I stopped self-harming for a bit,
But have started again.
I have a counsiller and friends I could talk to, but I find it really hard to find the words.
I will though.
<3
<3