FirstSigns

Media Request

2008-10-09T08:57:00.000+01:00

A journalist working for an international press agency has requested a young, female volunteer to speak about her experiences of self-injury.

The journalist would ideally would like to find a female participant. She would like to speak to a young person *and* her family about the support they have received to tackle self-injury. Alternatively she would like to speak to a woman who self-injured from a very early age and has now moved away from self-injury.

We are told it will be a very positive article focused on the treatment and recovery process and, if published, the agency will make a donation to the volunteer to thank them for their time. The participant and her family will be able to read and amend the text before publication to ensure they are completely happy with it.

The interview will involve a friendly chat and some photographs in London. However, if the volunteer doesn't live in London then the interview could take place over the phone and a photographer* would be sent to visit the family pretty much anywhere in the UK at any convenient time.

The volunteer would also need to supply some old photographs* of themselves which would be copied and returned to them.

*FirstSigns does not support the publication of pictures of scars / injuries and we will make it clear to the journalist that no such photos should be taken.

If anyone is interested please email Jules@FirstSigns.org.uk for further details.

Many thanks,

Wedge and Jules

Wedge speaks at a school in Exeter

2008-10-01T11:25:00.000+01:00

On Monday, Wedge and I attended a school in Exeter after being invited to speak on the subject of self-injury.

The school in question had recognised a need for more awareness on the subject for their staff and we were warmly welcomed by the school nurse who had organised the event, and all the teaching staff who attended.

It was fantastic to see a school take such a serious interest in self-injury and to recognise the need for a self-injury policy within their school.*

Self-injury affects so many young people it's probably safe to say that every school in the country has pupils who hurt themselves in order to cope with their emotional distress. The difficulty is in making schools aware of this need and persuading them to acknowledge that self-injury *does* exist among their pupils.

We can't blame schools for being reluctant; after all it wasn't so many years ago that most schools refused to admit bullying existed within their walls and playgrounds. These days it's accepted that bullying does take place within all schools, and the majority now have anti-bullying policies in place.

We hope that in time all schools will acknowledge the need for a self-injury policy, and the school we visited in Exeter has taken a huge step forward in helping towards self-injury awareness. We must congratulate and thank them for their open attitude and forward thinking.

Wedge's talk, as always, was very well received, and we have been asked to return later in the academic year to talk again about self-injury to an even wider range of staff, including some from the attached junior school.

I should also mention that the school were impressed by our safe and user-friendly website and message board, and we have also been asked to return to talk about UK Child Internet Safety and how people can protect themselves online.

The day was a great experience - a significiant leap forward in our endeavours to raise awareness about self-injury and a fantastic commitment from the school involved.

We look forward to our return visits.

*Any schools interested in our self-injury training please contact Wedge@FirstSigns.org.uk or for our latest guidance document written specifically to assist schools wishing to implement a Self-Injury Policy please email Jules@FirstSigns.org.uk.

Autumn Hits are Down

2008-09-26T09:58:00.000+01:00

As you know, some time ago we changed our name from 'LifeSIGNS' to FirstSigns and changed our web address to match.

Obviously this has an impact on how people find us, link to us and how many people visit our site. Google has to re-find our FirstSigns website and re-index us and decide where to put us on its search results page. People have to change their browser bookmarks / favourites, and may well be frustrated and confused if they go to our old web address and find there's nothing there (we don't own the old address, so it doesn't point anywhere useful anymore.)

Websites that link to us, well, they may well be linking to nothing if they're still using the old address...

So you see, changing our web address and name over night may well have destroyed us, might have made people think that we've disappeared, just slouched off like some people have.

It's not surprising to acknowledge that fewer people are visiting our website. It wouldn't surprise me if no one visited, what with all the changes...

So it is surprising to learn that hits are less than 20% down on this time last year!

It's brilliant to find that, even with how busy last year was, we're still getting loads of visitors to our website at www.FirstSigns.org.uk

And of course memberships rates are still climbing on our Facebook, Bebo and Myspace groups and pages.

I knew changing our web address and letting go of the old name and address would affect our members and visitors, but I'm thrilled to discover that most people can find us and continue to visit FirstSigns!

Help other people find us again by linking from your profile pages, blogs and websites to FirstSogns at www.FirstSigns.org.uk

Mindful Training

2008-09-18T14:30:00.001+01:00

On Wednesday I travelled to the Peterborough area to meet with people at Mind who run a drop-in and support centre. It was great to hear their thoughts and experiences around the subject of self-injury, and I hope our training package was of some help to them in their work.

FirstSigns travels all over the UK to deliver Self-Injury Awareness Training to healthcare workers, and it’s an honour to be involved with groups who are on the front line, directly helping people who self-injure.

We’ve done so much training this summer, and I’ve been dreadful at letting you know where we’ve been and what we’ve done! I do like blogging about everything, but I’ve neglected to keep you informed about our real-life training offering.

Later this year we’re involved with a conference, and I must share the details with you soon!

I feel like I’ve travelled a thousand miles this summer on the trains (prob more)! I reckon we’ll expand our training programme next year, but that we’ll take a break for the winter – there’s so much to do and so little time!

If you are a professional healthcare worker (like a volunteer at a support centre) please do consider what FirstSigns can offer you and your organisation – we’ve got a new Message Board that’s only for professionals, and it might be a great place for you to meet and talk with other healthcare people about the difficult and intense subject of self-injjury / self-harm. Take a look and join our growing group of professionals at: http://professionals.FirstSigns.org.uk

Wedge

Glasgow Strategy Meeting

2008-09-17T17:59:00.001+01:00

Jules and I spent a night in Glasgow at the weekend to meet Trevor, a professional social entrepreneur and expert fund raiser.

FirstSigns must grow – we’ve been bigger in the past and we’d get more work done and have a greater impact if we had more people involved and more money to support the information and web services we provide. Jules works incredibly hard on a daily basis (including weekends) to keep on top of our Message Board, Facebook, Bebo, MySpace, Twitter, email and administrative duties, and I do my best to keep up with her! We both want to make FirstSigns better so we can support more people to consider their options and seek health and happiness on their own terms. We love what we’ve done, and we love our members and supporters – we just want to do more!

We were very grateful for Trevor’s offer of advice and guidance. He has a very interesting background in charity, and he’s currently doing some incredible work in East Africa, helping women run their own co-operative businesses. We wouldn’t be able to afford such expertise without Trevor’s desire to help us, so our thanks go to Trevor for making himself freely available to us.

Cheers,

Wedge

Photo Credit

Fun N Games on our Message Board

2008-09-09T10:44:00.001+01:00

Our Message Board, as always, offers a safe, friendly, supportive and inspiring community. We discuss our lives, our emotions and the distress that leads to our self-injury and self-harm, as well as discussing ways in which we can move away from self-injury and seek happier, healthier lives.

We also have some fun! The summer months are always quieter, but some of our members have been very busy creating a poem in our Fun N Games section. I think it's great so I'm posting it here to share with you all.

With many of our members returning to school uni this month, the board will be busier than ever, and our Happy Hour will be returning soon (Sundays 7.30pm to 8.30pm BST/GMT)

We hope you enjoy our members' creation, and maybe it will inspire some of you to pop in and join the fun, as well gaining friendly support from our hundreds of members.

There once was a wide mouthed frog called sid (baby_girl84)
he talked alot about his kid (D-elle)
they lived together down by the lake (dragonfly)
right next door to a horrible snake! (dragonfly)
who liked to cook tuna and pasta bake (baby_girl84)
but failed miserably when baking a cake (staral)
This upset his friend, whose birthday was forgotten (Jules)
All he received in the end was a hamper of food that was all rotten (Charlotte)
The food was given to the horrible snake(D-Elle)
Who moaned and groaned with a belly ache (dragonfly)
His kind neighbour - sid the frog (dragonfly)
gave him pepto bismall that made him (baby_girl84)
not very well at all actually, as the snake was allergic to it, but sid the frog wasn't to know that (staral)
so the snake hit Sid on the head with a bat (D-Elle)
Then Sids kid - Mike, yelled "Leave my Dad alone!!" (dragonfly)
and quickly ran, the frog police to phone (D-Elle) ..........well it rhymes
The snake packed his bags and quickly left town (dragonfly)
in the haste, he fell in the lake and started to drown (D-Elle)
This left Mike and Sid in a muddle (dragonfly)
They gathered together in quite a small huddle (dragonfly)
Should they help save the snake? Hmm - I wonder....? (dragonfly)
but there really was no time to ponder. (peonie)
The frogs hopped to the water and jumped right in, (peonie)
as they reached the snake, he began to swim! (peonie)
and so Sid and Mike headed quickly for shore (D-Elle)
Their legs were tired and their arms were sore (dragonfly)
They watched as the snake swam far away (dragonfly)
On reaching the shore, shouted hip hip hooray (D-Elle)
Meanwhile watching all of the fuss was a pretty girl frog named Shanay (dragonfly ) ???????
and young Mike's first thought was she ain't getting away (D-Elle)
He hopped over, flexed his muscles and said... (dragonfly)
"Behold girl frog for I am your personal baker...here is some bread" (baby_girl84)
Mike and Shanay held hands(?) and kissed (D-Elle)
While the dough for the pancakes they both whisked (baby_girl84)
Love was most certainly in the air (D-Elle)
The young couple ate pancakes topped with some pear (dragonfly)
Mike got down on his knee(?) to propose (D-Elle)
Shanay smiled then replied.. "Yes - i suppose!!" (dragonfly)
And so they went to tell Sid the good news (D-Elle)
Sid however was not so happy (baby_girl84)
Infact to the young couple - Sid was downright snappy!! (dragonfly)
"Dad.." said Mike "Why are you so mad?" (dragonfly)
"'Cos you're both too young and it's making me sad" (D-Elle)
"Just make more pancakes for a little while" (D-Elle)
and as they did it brought a smile (Candy)
Mike and Shanay made pancakes and waited (D-Elle)
All of this tension they hated!! (dragonfly)
They decided that their engagement would be long term..(dragonfly) How am I meant to find a word that rhymes with 'term'?(D-Elle)
Shanay swam in the river and caught a horrible GERM(D-Elle) that's perfect - well done!! - dragonfly
Mike was full of concern about her fever (D-Elle)
with the only cure from the hair of a beaver (lilac)
So Mike, Sid and even the horrible snake (D-Elle)
searched for a beaver the cure to make (D-Elle)
They searched day and night before they found beavers hut (dragonfly)
And to steal some hair, hit the beaver on the head with a nut (D-Elle)
The beaver fell to the ground with a mighty thud ! (dragonfly)
Mike pulled out beavers hair, and hopped back through the mud (dragonfly)
He hopped and hopped as fast as he could (D-Elle)
Mike quickly arrived home - (as we expected he would), (dragonfly)
He took the beavers hair and put it into the pot (dragonfly)
And waited impatiently for it to boil and get hot (D-Elle)
As it came to the boil he poured it into a tea cup (dragonfly)
and when mike took it to Shanay he tripped up (D-Elle)
"Arrrhhh" Mike cried, as he rescued just a drop (dragonfly)
He gave it to Shanay, and her feevered brow began to mop (D-Elle)
Mike stayed at her bedside all through the night (dragonfly)
and in the morning he got an awful fright (D-Elle)
During the night he'd fallen asleep (D-Elle)
He awoke to the sound of his alarm clock, and that awful BEEP !! (dragonfly)
He jumped to his feet and turned to look at Shanay... (dragonfly)
Who, very sadly, whilst he slept had past away ........(sorry for making it sad - D-Elle)
Sid comforted Mike throughout this very difficult time (dragonfly) (not sure where to go??)
And Mike was determined, this mountain to climb (D-Elle)
Lucky for Mike he had his friends to support him (dragonfly)
and he found it good therapy to go for a swim (D-Elle)
soon he was no longer feeling grim (D-Elle)
He decided to go out and travel the world (dragonfly)
and meet all the nice people, or so he had been told (jean)
His past behind him - he decided to move on (dragonfly)
This was the beginning - a brand new dawn (D-Elle)

Thank you to everyone who took part in this thread :)

Launch of September Tell Someone Month

2008-09-01T09:44:00.000+01:00

The FirstSigns 'Tell Someone Project' runs every March and September, and today we launch our September 2008 Tell Someone Month.

Wedge says: “We're very excited to help people help themselves, and the 'Tell Someone' project may well help you break through your fears and actually tell someone about your self-injury, and the emotional reasons behind it.”

We understand that coming out about self-injury can be daunting, but isn't the secrecy overwhelming too? It can be incredibly lonely when you feel that you're the only person who could be hurting themselves and are struggling with the accompanied emotional distress alone.

But you're not alone and at FirstSigns we've been working since 2002 to raise awareness, banish the stigma and empower people to help themselves.

So, how do you tell someone and who do you tell?

It's entirely up to you, but we have some tips on coming out on our website, and we urge you to take some to reflect on who you might tell and how you'll do it.

We'll be by your side throughout the month of September in our special 'Tell Someone Forum' within our Message Board. There you will find hints, tips, guidance and ideas on telling people, and you share your stories with others who are taking the same step.

We're hoping to have our new 'I Told Someone' stickers ready for the end of the month, so if you email Jules@firstsigns.org.uk with your I Told Someone stories, we'll send you a sticker sometime next month by snail mail (UK only).

For our non UK members or anyone who doesn't wish to receive post from us, you can request an avatar or web banner to be emailed instead. Again, we hope to have these ready by the end of the month, but we're really busy right now so please be patient if it takes us a while longer.

So, please do let us know who you've told, how it went and how you felt about it both at the time and now, and we may even publish some of your stories later in the year.

Will this be the month you finally come out and tell someone?

Small Print

The 'Tell Someone Month' and 'Tell Someone Project' is a FirstSigns initiative, run solely by FirstSigns.

The importance of pursuing happiness

2008-08-31T09:52:00.002+01:00

Do you look for the happy outcome each day, or do you find yourself focusing on what has gone wrong and what could go wrong?

Our feelings are powerful drivers - they can drive us to achieve great things in life or they can drive us to despair and self-destruction (self-sabotage).

But our emotions are not untameable runaway horses, although we may feel like they consume and control us at times.

Our emotions are tameable, and we can master them to help us move onwards and upwards.

What we dwell on, becomes real.

What we do often, we become.

If we dwell on dark thoughts, endlessly repeating negative scenarious and words, we’ll become down and despondent.

If we dwell on the negatives, we can only see the negatives. If we focus on our losses and our misfortunes we’ll be overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and regret.

Life ain’t easy - terrible things do happen, but don’t we have ambitions for our future to consider? Don’t we want love and laughter in our lives?

If we dwell on the things that make us happy, we’ll be happier. If we’re happier, more interesting and enjoyable things will happen to us. And when the bad things happen, we’ll be in a more logical frame of mind to deal with them, rather than allowing them to crush our spirit and ‘prove’ to us that we’re ‘no good’.

Bad things do happen, and many of us struggle with the challenges that we come across, but if we focus on the negative thoughts we’ll only drive ourselves crazy with self-doubt.

Your thoughts are yours - they are not separate to you, or something that ‘happens to’ you - they are yours to control and make use of.

Your emotions are yours - they are not separate from you, or something that ‘controls’ you - they are yours to experience and control.

Why not decide to acknowledge every feeling, and then turn your thoughts to other things?

“OK, I’m feeling disappointed about how I spoke to that person, and I’m worried they might think I’m stupid or rude. But on the other hand, I was rather surprised by their question, and I’m sure they’re not obsessing about my answer! It’s time to move on and think about what I’ll be doing this evening with my dog / brother / friend / computer / art project.”

Your thoughts control and direct your emotions. Take charge! Think decent thoughts!

Please leave your comments below if you ‘get’ what I’m talking about - it’s not just me that thinks the same negative thoughts over and over again is it?

[Wedge]

New beginnings

2008-08-28T15:23:00.001+01:00

Is it next week that everyone starts returning to school / college/ uni? It's been a good few years since I left school so I lose track, but I'm still drawn to all the lovely stationery around in the shops at this time in readiness for the new academic year!

For me, going back to school was always a great joy, and no more so than the new term in September. I was lucky at school, I was never really bullied as such, I loved studying and I had some fantastic teachers. I know it's not like that for everyone, but I want to focus on positives today.

September, for me, has always been 'a new start' time. When I was at school it meant a new pencil case, pens, erasers (don't get me started on those....!) but more than that, it was a chance to start again. I always had great intentions – my handwriting was immaculate, homework done on time, books kept neat and tidy. Sometimes my new studious self even lasted well into October, before I eventually relaxed into the year, lapsed back into my old habits and tipexed 'I love Culture Club' on my pencil case!

Even now, September still fills me with a certain hope for a new beginning, and this year is no exception. I'm feeling empowered right now and ready to work hard on some personal plans and projects (erasers still feature quite heavily!) as well all those that we are planning for FirstSigns.

It will be a year on 1^st September since I joined Wedge as a director of FirstSigns (previously LifeSIGNS), and I think I may have to celebrate with a new notepad and some pens :)

Wedge and I have been through a lot this last year, as you know from all our previous blogs, and I'm even more excited to be starting my second year running FirstSigns now that our troubles are behind us and we can focus on the bright and exciting plans we have for the coming year, and the years beyond.

I've had a great deal of support these last 12 months from our lovely members, many of whom have made the darker times all seem worthwhile, with their kind comments and words of thanks. But I couldn't have done any of it without Wedge. I have a reputation for being 'fluffy and lovely' which is great, but it's not the whole truth I can assure you. I can be the most frustrating person anyone could fear to work with, but Wedge has always patiently been there to guide and support me as I adapted to my new role.

In years to come when I look back on this first year, I won't be thinking of all the problems, abuse and attacks we've had; instead I shall think fondly of how we marched through adversity with our heads held high, towards a lighter and brighter future. I love working for Wedge, I love FirstSigns and when I log-in each day I feel as though I've found my way home.

Thank you to all our members, our supporters, our message board moderators and most importantly, thank you to Wedge for your patience and understanding; for believing in me, and for giving me the opportunity to work with you and your Organisation.

I'm sooo looking forward to a new year, a new start and some new stationery!

Jules

Summer meet-ups and a thank you.

2008-08-21T10:09:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday Wedge and I were in London for our second summer meet-up, and as with Birmingham earlier in the year it was fantastic to meet some of you in real life and enjoy a drink and a chat.

We understand only too well how daunting travel and meeting new people can be, and we'd like to thank everyone who attended either Birmingham or London for making such an effort and in the case of some of you, for conquering your fears in order to meet us.

As you all know, FirstSigns has been going through a lot of changes this year and it's not been an easy time for us, but we're reaching out and growing as an organisation in ways that we never have before, and the next twelve months will be an exciting time for all of us.

By next year we should have the time and resources necessary to be able to arrange meet-ups in more locations, especially further north, so thank you also to everyone who has been unable to attend this year but has been patient and understanding of our difficulties.

Our members are of utmost importance, both to Wedge and I as the people who direct FirstSigns and to the Organisation as a whole. So, to everyone out there who supports us in any way, even it's just by reading our blog, thank you.

Wedge and Jules

London Meet-up this Saturday

2008-08-13T20:16:00.000+01:00

It's our London meet-up this Saturday in Camden, North London (UK) from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.

Please see our earlier blog for full details or email Jules@firstsigns.org.uk for further information.

Wedge and I look forward to having a drink and a chat with you then.

Pursuing Happiness

2008-08-13T10:51:00.001+01:00

At FirstSigns we often talk about 'seeking health and happiness on a daily basis', but what does that really mean? It will of course be different for each of us – we must all look at our individual lives, decide what's best for us, make positive choices for ourselves and aim for healthier, happier days.

We never tell people what they should do, so instead I'll focus on my happiness and tell you what I do in the hope that it inspires you towards self-empowerment.

I'm not talking about the big stuff here; big houses, fast cars, exotic holidays are all great (not that I have them!) and I'm sure winning the lottery would make all of us smile, but I can honestly say I've never desired to be immensely rich. Why? Because I sincerely believe that money does not bring true happiness. Sure, debt brings misery, but I'm not talking about debt, I'm talking about being content with what you have. That's not to say you shouldn't have ambition – if you desire a specific car, a larger house or a fantastic holiday with a loved one then yes, go all out to obtain it – but it needn't be the main focus of your life, or at the expense of the little things.

For me, it's the little things that matter – the kind of things that are easy to seek out, and on a daily basis too. Things like enjoying the weather, the flowers in the garden, a great book, a text from a loved one, a compliment from a colleague, a surprise call, a bubble bath or just a few minutes silence. The list is endless but they are all things that it's easy to take for granted.

For me, it's the little things that really matter, and without them I would never be happy even if I did have all the big stuff.

Like many people, I wake each morning feeling quite miserable. Each and every day I literally force myself out of bed the moment I wake, because the temptation to hide under the duvet all day becomes greater the longer I lie there. I have to mentally choose to seek happiness in my day.

I will point out that it's not easy by any means, and some days it works better than others, but I hope you will see how with a little effort in the way that I choose to think about things, I can boost my mood and discover that elusive thing called happiness.

The first thing I do each day is feed my cats. This can either be a chore while they get under my feet demanding attention, or it can be a great start to the day enjoying the fuss they make of me and feeling content that I'm caring well for them.

I then make myself a cup of tea, which I can either drink while opening Firefox and then allow to go cold while I deal with / get stressed about something that in reality isn't at all important, or I can sit down and enjoy my tea – taking a few minutes of peaceful time to myself (there's nothing like that first cuppa, outside if the weather's good) and plan my day.

These are only two little examples of how I can choose to start my day in a good or bad frame of mind. Often, the choices I make at 7am will impact on how I feel for the rest of the day.

If I choose to think negatively then everything becomes negative. A phone call is something to avoid, a trip to the shops is something to dread and literally everything becomes tainted with misery. By choosing to be positive and seeking happiness in the small things, my whole day becomes lighter and brighter, and rather than mourning the dark clouds I can instead enjoy the refreshing rain and look out for the rainbow.

We can't always choose how we feel, but we can choose how we think and behave, and that can change how we feel :)

Making the most of summer

2008-08-04T11:47:00.004+01:00

I've noticed these last few evenings that it's getting darker earlier. That should come as no surprise, it happens every year after all, but it did make me a little sad. All too soon it will be dark by 4.30pm and those of us working 9 'til 5 will barely see sunlight until the weekends! So, how do we make the most of the few weeks of summer we have left?

Often, when we think of 'alternatives to self-injury' we tend to think of them as things we do at home and indoors. But this time of year especially it can even more helpful if we take ourselves out of the house – after all there's a whole world of distractions out there and it is believed that sunlight helps regulate our serotonin and melatonin levels, thus improving our mood. A walk round the local park can clear our heads and improve self-esteem. For those of us who suffer from anxiety, getting out and about can help use up some of the excess adrenaline that is such a distressing side-effect.

It doesn’t all have to be about exercise; anything that gets us off the sofa and away from the television for an hour should have a positive effect our mood. It’s very tempting to spend the evenings inside, especially after a long day at work or school, but when we're already struggling with negative emotions, staying cooped up indoors doesn’t often help much.

Of course, it’s very difficult when we are feeling low and upset to find the motivation to do very much at all, but we can all choose to make an effort for ourselves and try something new.

So, should we be making the most of the lighter evenings, even it’s just by moving some of our indoor activities outside? Many of us read, write, draw, paint or listen to music in the evenings, but we could go and do those things in the garden or park instead. We have some very talented members here at FirstSigns, as can be seen from all your artwork that's been submitted – but we always need more so there's some inspiration for you!

Or simply go outside and do nothing. There’s something very relaxing about summer evenings, just sitting under a tree, on a park bench or even on a step in the garden (I spend a lot of time on my step!) Listen to the sounds of summer, the birds and insects, and smell the flowers as they start to close their petals for the night. I know, it all sounds very idealistic, and in reality we'll also be hearing car horns, police sirens and the neighbours arguing, but with a little imagination it's easy to drift off to somewhere lovely for a while!

London summer meet-up in 2 weeks :)

2008-08-01T12:09:00.000+01:00

There's only two weeks until our summer meet-up in London (UK)!

Thank you to those of you who have already confirmed you are attending - I have today emailed you with full details of the location. If you've contacted me and haven't received an email then please let me know.

Just to confirm, we are meeting in Camden, North London on Saturday 16th August from 1pm 'til 3pm. So if you fancy coming along for a drink and chat then please do email Jules@firstsigns.org.uk for full details.

A couple of people have said that although they would like to come, they feel rather nervous about it. This is perfectly understandable; I know that I always feel a little anxious when meeting new people, but our meet-ups are always relaxed and friendly, and you are welcome to bring a friend.

If you have any questions then please do email me.

Wedge and I look forward to seeing you on the 16th :)

Thank you

2008-07-31T19:44:00.002+01:00

I want to thank you for reading our blog and visiting our self-harm awareness website.

It means a lot to me, to have engaged and interested visitors. It means a lot to Jules and me when we hear back from members or visitors who tell us that our stories, articles and information has affected them, that they recognise themselves in our words, and we've made them think.

I hope FirstSigns provides fantastic inspiration and information. Obviously, we don't give advice or tell people what to do - that would be awful, after all, I still struggle with the urge to self-injure, and even when I haven't hurt myself for a year or so, that doesn't mean I've got all the answers.

Answers come from within, from you yourself. And I'd love to hear some from you.

Would you care to use the comments system below to tell us how you feel about FirstSigns and the information we provide? What could we do to improve our services?

Thanks for visiting, please let us know your thoughts.

Wedge

FAQs online - all about the new name and address stuff

2008-07-18T20:06:00.000+01:00

Just to let you know that we've got our new F.A.Q.s online now, to help you reflect on our recent announcement about the new name and web-address for our voluntary organisation.

Read the FAQs - and feel free to comment / send us new questions
Read the actual Organisation Announcement - learn the startling facts behind our name change

But apart from all that, have a great weekend guys!

London meet-up Saturday 16th August

2008-07-17T18:40:00.002+01:00

After the success of our Birmingham meet-up last Saturday, we are now pleased to confirm that a further meet-up will take place in London on Saturday 16^th August.

The event will take place at a pub in Camden, North London (nearest tube Camden Town) from 1pm until 3pm.

Of course, both Wedge and I will be there and we would welcome the opportunity to meet and have a drink with as many of you as possible.

You are also welcome to bring a friend.

It would be good to get some idea of numbers so if you think you may attend, please either PM Jules on the Message Board or email me at Jules@firstsigns.org.uk. Please also contact me should you have any questions or comments.

Full details including exact location and map will be given to anyone confirming they wish to attend.

We hope to see you on 16^th August :-)

Wedge and Jules

The Times links to FirstSigns

2008-07-15T11:49:00.000+01:00

Wedge blogged yesterday about a page in the Times newspaper dedicated to self-harm and today they tackle how to break free from self-injury. Anyone reading the article today will no doubt recognise some of the wording that has been used as being from our own FirstSigns website. We talk frequently about 'enabling' people and 'empowering' them to move on from self-injury by adopting healthier coping mechanisms.

Some of the alternatives mentioned we would not recommend on our own alternatives page - I doubt that whoever suggested eating a chilli has ever tried eating one themselves!

You can read the article here and decide for yourselves. The penultimate paragraph links to the Samaritans, SANEline and FirstSigns. They use our oldest address of selfinjury.org.uk which suggests that we have been a valuable source of information to them for many years, and of course that address still goes directly to FirstSigns :)

Wedge reflects on lovin' the summer

2008-07-14T21:40:00.000+01:00

I can't say I've seen much of the summer, but I have enjoyed the long days and the bright, energising light.

I've even enjoyed the summer showers we all seem to be having, like at the weekend, when FirstSigns got together for the first of our annual Meet-ups.

We were in Birmingham on Saturday, and the rain held off, mostly kinda. We had a few drinks and everybody stayed an extra hour, as we we're chatting so much! It was great to meet with some new members of our Message Board, and a couple of our dedicated Moderators!

The good news is we're having another Meet-up in August, in London, and invites will be going out to all our members soon, but basically you can come and join us for a relaxed drink if you're over 18 and you fancy it - just email Jules@firstsigns.org.uk for details.

That reminds me, I meant to encourage Jules to write a few more personal blogs for FirstSigns - I've been so busy lately, my life has really been changing recently and I'm feeling just a little under the weather most of the time - still, it's exciting where life can take you :)

But blogs are great ways to keep up with what's going on - like today, I noticed that The Times had a page devoted to self-harm - was it mostly young girls and Girl Guides they were focusing on, due to some research or something? Tomorrow (Tuesday) they will also discuss how to break free from self-harm, so that might be something to consider... Obviously, here at FirstSigns we're all for self-help, support and moving away from self-harm, but it's my opinion that newspapers' and magazines' sole duty is to sell more copies of their publication, not directly to educate or help people! They are a passtime, something to scan through when you're on the train or enjoying a cup o' tea. FirstSigns only has one mission, and it's a beauty - and has nothing to do with selling!

Organisation Announcement

2008-06-26T14:15:00.003+01:00

Our organisation is being reborn with a new name!

Over the next few days we're becoming FirstSigns and our website and publications will be rebranded with our new logo. All of our services and information can be accessed from www.FirstSigns.org.uk from this day forth.

Wedge has been raising awareness since 2000, and was the Creator and Founding Director of the LifeSIGNS Voluntary Organisation in 2002, and the Founding Trustee of the LifeSIGNS Charity in 2006. Launching FirstSigns with Jules and the supportive members of the voluntary organisation is the culmination of over seven years work.

Wedge says:

“As a team, we've worked ceaselessly to get self-injury talked about in this country and beyond. Over the years I've worked alongside doctors, politicians, journalists, celebrities, charities and students in order to bring this difficult subject into the light, but I'm most proud to have worked with some incredibly inspiring volunteers who offer their insight and experience so that others may have hope. It is to the brave members of FirstSigns that I dedicate our next seven years of awareness work.”

FirstSigns will also focus on 'self-harm' – an umbrella term for a variety of behaviours and coping-mechanisms, including self-injury.

Jules explains:

“We've been talking about the specifics of self-injury for years now, and along the way our members have told us about other behaviours that go beyond the immediate actions of self-injury. It's time we expanded our view of behavioural functions to include self-harm, so that we can help family, friends and professionals understand how people behave and the differences between SI and SH.”

Jules and Wedge left the LifeSIGNS charity in 2007 after it became impossible to work with Mary and Sarah once they decided to write a book without approval or knowledge from the Management Committee (the book would have only been available in print, not free as a download, so that's against our ethics of 'free information'). Negotiations regarding web addresses and such never got started as Mary and Sarah chose not to enter into any form of communication with Wedge, even after a couple of signed letters were sent to them. Instead Wedge and Jules have launched FirstSigns and, on advice, have relinquished any lasting rights to the web address for the LifeSIGNS charity.

Wedge says:

“This is a continuation of our work and also a fresh start. Working with Mary made me miserable, the harassment and abuse was too much for me, and so I left LifeSIGNS.

"Now, I understand that I made a mistake, in 2002 when I set-up a democratic voluntary organisation: by installing a democratic committee back in 2002 (3 years before I invited Mary to join LifeSIGNS) I signed away some rights to some of my work, and it is that mistake, 6 years ago, that means that Sarah and Mary take over the LifeSIGNS web address. Let me make this clear, Mary's working habits made me miserable for years, and I'm glad to be able to turn my back on her. We move forward from today, and I'm grateful for the support of our understanding members who just want the best information and the most reliable support services we can offer. We endeavour to meet the needs of our members, for free, 24/7.”

While legal advice was sought, no legal proceedings have taken place.
Wedge created the name 'LifeSIGNS' and the acronym 'Self-Injury Guidance & Network Support” in 2002.
Wedge started raising awareness in 2001 and conceived and founded the LifeSIGNS Voluntary Organisation in 2002, and was a Founding Trustee when it transformed into a Charity in 2006.

You can find Wedge, Jules and FirstSigns at www.FirstSigns.org.uk and you may be interested to note the following specific addresses:

http://training.FirstSigns.org.uk
http://professionals.FirstSigns.org.uk
http://parents.FirstSigns.org.uk
http://men.FirstSigns.org.uk
http://shines.FirstSigns.org.uk

The Lifesigns charity, dominated by Mary, may not have a website, or offer any services at this time, who can say? Try finding them here: http://tinyurl.com/48bpcg

Comments

“I didn't expect this to happen, when I joined LifeSIGNS in 2003 I didn't consider myself an 'owner' of it, I worked for it. I'm shocked to find that it's no longer in Wedge's capable hands.”
Dr. Danny, MBBS – director of LifeSIGNS (2003 – 2005)

“I'm appalled and upset to find that after six years Wedge, who created LifeSIGNS, has had to resign and walk away from all his work – I supported him at the very start and it's awful to find that the name LifeSIGNS, which he has made famous, is no longer a name I can trust.”
Sara, PO – founding director of LifeSIGNS (2002)

“We set up a democratic organisation in good faith. I always expected Wedge to hold the organisation together, and I'm disappointed to find that our naivety has led to Wedge losing his work on a technicality of ownership.”
Kate, BA – founding director of LifeSIGNS (2002)

"I have advised Wedge to choose his colleagues with more care and it would be a shame if past experience made him cynical and stopped him from offering such a valuable resource to those in need of assistance. I'm very pleased that he and Jules have chosen to move forward and establish FirstSigns, and I'm sure they will reach more people in need than ever before. I look forward to continue working with them and supporting their endeavours."
Dr. Neil, MB ChB, Psychiatrist, Associate Clinical Teacher

“I had no idea Wedge would relinquish the web address and give up so much of the work I started with him; I expected everything to turn out brilliantly, just as it always does for Wedge's projects – actually, it has turned out brilliantly, and everything will be better than ever in a few short months I'm sure!”
Laura, HR – founding director of LifeSIGNS and the Newsletter (2002)

“Organisations merger and splits, particularly in the charitable world where passions and a belief in the 'purpose' dominate discussion. With the case of FirstSigns I am delighted to hear of the news of the split and the disassociation with previous directors Mary & Sarah. This will let FirstSigns concentrate on being a force for good, while letting Mary and Sarah focus on commercial options available to manipulate and take advantage of vulnerable people coping with self harm affliction. My best wishes, hope and aspirations go out to Wedge & Jules. I am confident that your good work will continue and will improve the lives of others."
Martin, founding director of LifeSIGNS (2002)

“The difference between Mary and Wedge is that while Mary will be reading this announcement and then lamenting Wedge's evilness and making sexually abusive comments* within her private message board forum, Wedge will not be reading anything from Mary, and will not be writing anything further about her.”
Chris

*Yes, Mary has done this.

New Announcement FAQs

2008-06-26T14:13:00.001+01:00

Frequently Asked Questions

In regard to the recent announcement of our name and address change.

Why have you changed your name?

See our announcement; we were forced to relinquish the original domain name owned by Wedge, so we decided that a full brand revamp was needed; our new name reflects our new domain of www.FirstSigns.org.uk

Are you still doing the same things?

Yes, pretty much, but we're also expanding our awareness activities to include the larger subject of 'self-harm'. We are also offering more services to professional healthcare workers and we hope to work more closely with professionals than ever before.

Who is running FirstSigns?

Wedge and Jules are running the whole organisation, with support from our Message Board Moderators, volunteers and professional associates.

Why has the address changed?

See the Announcement; after taking legal advice, we felt forced to relinquish the domain name.

Why is there still a LifeSIGNS?

The LifeSIGNS organisation (that Wedge founded in 2002) became a registered Charity in 2006 (Wedge was a founding Trustee) and continues to exist as a registered Charity, so the Trustees of that legal entity can do as they wish, kinda. As far as we can see, the charity only exists on paper and they haven't actually *done* anything for the last 10 months.

Who is running LifeSIGNS?

We don't really know; legally, Cel Foulger, Sarah Jupp and Mary Hillery are the Trustees, but whether they even talk to each other is anyone's guess. Clearly, Mary dominates the legal entity known as LifeSIGNS, and perhaps Sarah has ambitions to resurrect the name.

Why aren't you working together?

Please see our announcement - simply put, it was a 'management fall out'. Wedge and Jules felt that it was important to put the members first, and ensure we provide information for free, and that, as a team, we work within our approved and agreed guidelines and procedures. Mary and Sarah felt that as Trustees they didn't need to work within the rules and started acting outside of our agreed procedures, and spoke of an aim to publish a book, one that would never be available for free download, only for hard cash in the shops. Add to this the awful working relationships we had and it's obvious that Wedge and Jules needed to leave.

How will this affect me?

It can affect you as much or as little as you like. We would like to welcome you to our new web address ( www.FirstSigns.org.uk ) and we apologise if you can't find all of our services on Google easily, but an address change damages our search results.

What about Facebook / Bebo / MySpace / Twitter?

Yes, over the coming weeks, we'll update all of our Social Network pages to reflect our new name and new logo.

Are you doing anything new?

Yes! We're already launched a Message Board exclusively for professional healthcare workers, and we intend to provide more and more information aimed at professionals.

Can I book training?

Yes, your organisation can book us to visit and train your people; however, the training we offer is very good value for money and very very popular, and so it may take some time to agree a suitable date.

Are you accepting research / media requests?

These are not our priority, but we might be able to help. Later in the year we may well have more time to help students and the media.

What's the Message Board address now?

Currently it is http://selfinjury.org.uk/forum/ however, it will soon change to http://www.firstsigns.org.uk/forum/ in line with our main website.

What's your email address now?

Jules@firstsigns.org.uk
Wedge@firstsigns.org.uk
info@firstsigns.org.uk
letters@firstsigns.org.uk

Is the phone number changing?

No. At least, we intend it to remain the same, however, Wedge might change to a new service provider so it *might* change!

Is the new logo permanent now?

No. We've been taking feedback on the design and some people have submitted some great ideas for improvements, although in general people like the new logo with the hollow words and the orange capsule!

Can I still write to Dr. Neil?

Yes, we're thrilled to work with Dr. Neil and it's so great to be able to email him isn't it and get a real doctor's insight? If you email him, please remember that you will remain anonymous and your Question and Answer may appear on our website and newsletter.

letters@firstsigns.org.uk

What's the Newsletter called?

SHINES - for the time being!

Is this why the Newsletter has been delayed?

Yes and no; the Newsletter has been delayed because we're working flat out to get the re-branded website finished, plus we're swamped with emails!

How do I update my email address for the Mailing List / Newsletter?

Use this link, or if that's a bit hard, email Wedge@firstsigns.org.uk with *all* your name and email details and a polite request.

I'm not happy, how do I complain?

If you'd like to submit a specific improvement idea, or let us know about something that you don't think is great, please drop us a polite email to info@firstsigns.org.uk - can you believe that some people waste their time sending us impolite emails and rants? We don't read or reply to rude mails!

How do I donate?

You can donate directly with PayPal by sending a payment to donate@firstsigns.org.uk or see this page: Contribute / Donate

What about Wristbands and Keyrings?

The 2008 wristbands and keyrings are no longer available - thanks for all your support with them!

NEW wristbands and keyrings will be ready for January / February 2009, in time for Self-Injury Awareness Day (1st March).

What about Self-Injury Awareness Day?

We'll work hard to get some fab info and posters online for February 2008 to help you raise awareness in your real-life and online communities in time for the 1st of March.

How can I help?

We are always looking for short articles for our newsletter and website, together with book reviews, personal accounts and experiences, poetry and artwork for our Confessions Board . Please email info@firstsigns.org.uk or upload your artwork directly from the web page.

To our members - thank you !

Dr. Neil answers your questions

2008-06-23T14:02:00.000+01:00

We know it's hard to go to your doctor, we know it's hard to talk about self-injury and the distressing things behind it. We believe that getting help and support is a brave step forward, and something that has benefited many of our members once they've found the strength to take that step.

We can now help you move towards seeking help by offering the services of our friend and colleague, Dr. Neil (MB ChB, Psychiatrist). Neil has been working in psychiatry for over 10 years with a special interest in self-injury throughout his career. We've worked together for several years now training doctors and students. We're thrilled that Dr. Neil has offered to answer questions from our members.

Read the latest questions from our members and consider the answers given by Dr. Neil.

The cheesy secret behind successful decision making - Science, News - The Independent

2008-06-22T02:49:00.000+01:00

The cheesy secret behind successful decision making - Science, News - The Independent

Get more tryptophan into your diet - it gets converted into serotonin :)

Birmingham Meet-up 12th July 2008

2008-06-13T16:02:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,

Wedge and I are organising a real life meet-up for our members, to be held in Birmingham on Saturday 12 July from 1pm to 3pm. Both Wedge and I will be there and we would welcome the opportunity to meet and have a drink with as many of you as possible.

I'm afraid that our safety policy means that only members aged 18 years and over will be able to attend.

While it is likely that we will hold a second meet-up in London, probably in August, these are likely to be the only two cities for meet-ups this year. I realise this may upset some of you, especially those further North, but Wedge and I are extremely pressured by time at present, and this is the very best we can do. All I can do is apologise and assure you that we really are doing everything we can for you. I'm sure that by next year we will be able to travel further afield but for this year we hope that as many of you as possible can make it to Birmingham.

It would be good to get some idea of numbers so if you think you may attend, please either PM or email me at Jules@lifesigns.org.uk. Please also contact me should you have any questions or comments.

Full details including exact location etc will be given to anyone confirming they wish to attend.

We hope to see you on 12th July :-)

Wedge and Jules

Research Request: Adults

2008-06-06T19:00:00.000+01:00

Andy wishes to speak to adults regarding their past self-injury for his research. Please email Wedge@lifesigns.org.uk once you have read the details and would like to show interest.

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH

Your Personal Experiences of Self-Injury

My name is Andy, I am a PhD Student from the University of Greenwich, School of Health and Social Care. I am conducting research that looks into the personal experiences of adults who self-injured during their adolescence.

If you meet the following participation criteria it would be great to hear from you:

a) Aged between 30 and 50 years of age.

b) Generally in good health.

c) Living within the community.

d) Self-injured during you adolescence.

e) Still self-injure or may have stopped.

f) Are not a hospital in-patient.

g) Are not taking antipsychotic medication.

Purpose

This study will examine your experiences of self-injury during adolescence.

In order to do this I will arrange an interview with you where you will be given the opportunity to talk freely and openly and describe your experiences – your own ‘story of self-injury’ - in a safe environment and without fear of being judged or of any social stigma or implications.

Your account of self-injury is crucial in the process of developing a better understanding of adolescent self-injury and I will support you in doing this by asking you some questions during your interview about your self-injury.

Location and Time
Your interview will last for approximately 1 hour and will take place at either an agreed location convenient for you (your home town) or at the University of Greenwich.

Deadline

As the research is ongoing over the following year there I have a good level of flexibility regarding timing so I can fit in the interview around your needs and schedule.

Travel Expenses

Following your attendance of the interview you will receive your fixed amount for expenses of £25.00. Therefore if you live at a distance from London it may be agreed that I travel to you – this arrangement will mean that you should not incur travel costs.

Details

a) At a convenient time for you I will arrange to have a phone conversation with you to answer any questions or concerns you may have and to briefly discuss the participation criteria (stated above).

b) I will then forward you a ‘Participant Information and Briefing Pack’ by email or post.

This will give you the opportunity to read through the pack in your own time and contact me with any questions or concerns about the research.

c) After reading the pack if you want to proceed in taking part then simply contact me to arrange an interview. Also, please let me know about any personal needs / arrangements that need to be made to enable you to take part.

c) Attend an informal interview.

d) Following the informal interview you will receive a debriefing, be provided with the opportunity to ask questions or express any concerns and to give your feedback.

Confidentiality

From the onset of showing an interest in taking part and throughout your participation you can be assured that I am bound by legislation to ensure your anonymity and treat what you say in the strictest of confidence.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Andy

If you are interested in hearing more from Andy, please email Wedge on Wedge@lifesigns.org.uk with the email subject of ‘Andy’.

*APPROVED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH ETHICS COMMITTEE APRIL 2008