Self-harm Service
Location: Bethlem Royal Hospital, Maudsley Hospital
Mode: Inpatient, outpatient
Length of inpatient treatment: 26 weeks
Referrals are accepted from: Consultant psychiatrists, community mental health teams, GP consortia
Beds: 18
Key areas: Borderline personality disorder, self-harm
Overview
Our service is for people who repeatedly self-harm and who have chronic interpersonal difficulties. The service has been designed to work with people that other services have found difficult to help and who make frequent use of emergency services or multiple care agencies.
Many of our patients have been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder and also have a range of other mental health problems including eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and alcohol or drug misuse. They often have enduring emotional problems linked to severe adverse experiences during their early life.
Jessica’s story
I was self-harming and at the stage where I was burning myself. I’d had about five skin-graft operations and decided something needed to be done. At the time, what I was doing felt like the only way out, but now I’m much better I really can’t bring myself to do it again.
