[Serious] My father is self-harming and refusing help — I feel helpless. Please guide me
Hi guys, I'm 17 years old and I'm concerned about my father.
He has been self-harming for a long time using whatever he can find — blades, nails, even nailcutters. He hides it well, and when anyone in the family tries to stop him, he gets very angry and says he’ll hurt himself more.
He often makes painful sounds, groans, and sometimes cries without any clear reason. It’s emotionally heavy to watch. He used to take medication and had seen a doctor before, but he’s completely stopped treatment now and refuses to go back. At home, he’s withdrawn and aggressive. But when he’s outside, he behaves like everything’s normal — nobody outside the house can tell anything is wrong.
I’ve tried helping him start a healthy routine — like exercise and meditation — but he stays up late at night using his phone and sometimes self-harms again secretly when everyone else is asleep.
We’ve tried everything — family support, friends, even spiritual approaches. Nothing seems to reach him anymore.
I feel helpless and scared about him. If anyone here has dealt with something similar or would like to give some advice ,I would deeply appreciate your guidance.
Thank you.
Posted Jun 3, 2025, 3:58 AM UTC