What is Mental Illness?
A diagnosable illness that effects a persons thinking, emotional state, and behavior as well as disrupts the persons ability to work or carry out other daily activities and engage in satisfying personal relationships.

What is Self-Injury?
Self-injury is a maladaptive coping skill utilized by individuals, who lack more effective coping skills, to combat or avoid severe, intense emotional distress and unmanageable psychic pain. Self-injury is deliberate physical harm to oneself. Self-injury is also referred to as: self-inflicted violence, self-mutilation, self-harm or simply "cutting."

Resources:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
National Institute of Mental Health-Suicide Prevention
National Alliance on Mental Illness-Self Harm
National Institute of Mental Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What can you do to support someone who is suffering from mental health challenges?

Deal with your own feelings. You may feel shocked, confused, or even have your own struggles come up when dealing with mental health challenges. Acknowledging your feelings is an important first step toward helping your loved one.
Learn about the problem. The best way to overcome any discomfort you feel about mental illness is by learning about it. Understanding why your friend or family member is struggling can help you see the world from his or her eyes.
Don’t judge. Avoid judgmental comments and criticism—they’ll only make things worse. The first two tips will go a long way in helping you with this.
Offer support, not ultimatums. It’s only natural to want to help, but threats, punishments, and ultimatums are counterproductive. Express your concern and let the person know that you’re available whenever he or she wants to talk or needs support.
Encourage communication. Encourage your loved one to express whatever he or she is feeling, even if it’s something you might be uncomfortable with.
Seek professional help. An evaluation can help you and your loved one determine the severity of the problem as well as what treatment method could be most effective.

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