Why I no longer hide my self-harm scars

Point of View is an ITV News series where we invite people to share their life experiences and what they've learned from them.

Katrina Lawrence no longer hides the scars of 25 years of self-harm.

She began seeking out pain in early childhood, before her acts of harm developed far more seriously in her late teens and adult years as other addictions took hold.

Katrina addresses why she refused attempts to help her for so long and goes on to explain where she believes good-natured advice often fails to connect to those hurting themselves.

She also describes what finally made her stop self-harming and the event that gave her the confidence to show her scars in public for the first time.

Now clean of drink, drugs and self-harm, she also answers the question: what would she say to her 17-year-old self?

Where can you get help?

If you are in distress or need some support, the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 116 123 or through their website.

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• What I learnt from following my father into addiction