UPDATED: 13TH SEPTEMBER 2021
Please be advised that we operate a Self-Harm & Privacy rule here at turn2me. We want to make our site as supportive and also safe a place as possible for all our members and we ask that you observe some ground rules as follows:
SAFETY & SELF-HARM
We very much hope that turn2me can be a place where people can discuss their thoughts and feelings – especially where these relate to distress or mental health challenges that those members are facing. Such is the purpose of the services provided on our site. However, we also require our services to be places where our members are not caused undue distress or influence regarding any sort of deliberate self-harm (DSH), including suicide. We ask that you DO NOT POST any of the following:
• Making any reference to specific plans or methods of harming yourself.
• Discussing any immediate and actual intention to harm yourself in any way.
• Any mention of currently harming yourself/trying to end your life.
OUR REASON FOR THIS
Research indicates that, in some cases, public discussion of suicide plans or methods of harming yourself may negatively affect others (especially those who themselves may be in severe distress). We at turn2me believe that the most important space we can provide is one in which people can discuss the feelings and thoughts of distress associated with self-harm rather than the proposed actions involved in, or the intention to, self-harm. We have to balance the interests and benefits of those who wish to discuss such things with the well-being of our other users.
The reason we sometimes suggest (to those experiencing the need to discuss suicide and deliberate self-harm) contacting helplines and a range of other services is because these are 1-to-1 services where there is clearly therefore less likelihood that such material will cause undue distress to others, e.g. a caller discussing a suicide plan with a Samaritans volunteer will be doing so only with that volunteer. There is clearly no direct impact on other people contacting the same service in this case. Thought Catcher and Online Support Groups at turn2me, however, are open to a very large number of people.
We appreciate the bravery required, and barriers overcome, by those seeking mental health support online. However, we cannot in good conscience allow an un-moderated expression of – in some cases – very detailed thoughts, plans, and potentially distressing-to-others material concerning suicide and deliberate self-harm to be posted.
We sincerely hope that you continue to discuss your feelings and experiences at turn2me – however, we require that you do so whilst respecting our rules as detailed above.
If you are seriously considering harming yourself in the near future – or if you have very recently done so – we strongly suggest the following:
1. Contact your local emergency services if you have concerns about your medical health or safety.
2. If you have not yet harmed yourself but are considering doing so, please go to your local GP or hospital and explain to them that you are intending to harm yourself.
3. If you would like to discuss your desire to harm yourself in some detail, please contact a one-to-one service through which attention can be focused on you – details of some of these (many of which are free) can be found in our Information Centre on the turn2me website.
Please be advised that turn2me is not a crisis intervention service and does not provide crisis counselling. However, please note that should a member indicate imminent threat to life/other/child protection issue, then we are ethically, professionally and morally bound to intervene.
