Providing support for another individual can be a rewarding experience, but can also leave you feeling overwhelmed.
‘Support’ can often mean different things to different people, and this can depend on many factors, sometimes including how much experience you’ve had of providing support, how much you know about the topic or situation that the individual needs support with, and also your relationship with the individual.
Offering support may involve emotional support, offering advice, helping the individual seek the help they need (e.g. counselling, medical interventions), providing them with the confidence and push that they need in order to try something new (e.g. hobbies), or sometimes to stop or control situations which may be unhelpful and causing distress (e.g. drinking large amounts of alcohol, experiencing negative thoughts etc). This is not an exhaustive list, and the support that you may currently be providing, or have done previously, may look different.
CHERISH is a website that has been developed alongside individuals with direct experiences of providing support to another individual specifically for self-harm. For many, this was often described as an overwhelming experience, with people often feeling isolated and lonely during their journey as a supporter. This website aims to share helpful information, emerging research and experiences of others in order to allow you to feel more supported during this time.
“I think it would be just be really helpful to have somewhere with all the information put together. Also hearing others experiences and knowing I’m not the only one feeling out of my depth would really help.”
(Friend, Supporter)