My advice

Remember people care about you. Life is EPIC - this is one small part - things will get better, stay strong.

My recommendations

One year I was happy, getting good grades. Then all of a sudden I became angry, sad, started drinking, smoking and bunking off school. It was like someone pressed a self-destruct button. I still can’t place what happened. Maybe it was hormones or just one of those things, I don’t know.

During that time my best friend was harming herself. It hurt me so much to see her scars. I told her this but she wouldn’t stop. I wanted to understand, wanted to make her realise how it felt to see someone do that to themselves, so I started hurting myself too.

It didn’t make her stop. And I became addicted to it. Everything closed in and I was living life in my own miserable bubble. I wasn’t happy but it felt as if this was the way life was going to go for me. Like there was no other way.

My parents took me to a therapist another friend had recommended. It was helping but one night I got really drunk and hurt myself again, badly.

My brother suddenly burst my bubble. Everyone had been walking on eggshells around me, but he told me straight. Look around – your family and friends love you and what you’re doing is hurting them. Stop it. They love you.

That was years ago and since then I haven’t harmed myself. I’m in a much happier place and am so thankful I sought help and had supportive friends and family. We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about our mental health.