LifeSIGNS (Self-Injury Guidance & Network Support) is an online, user-led voluntary organisation, founded in 2002 to create understanding about self-injury and provide information and support to people of all ages affected by self-injury. We recognise self-injury and self-harm as a way of coping with distressing experiences and difficult emotions, and we encourage people to reflect on the issues behind their self-injury, and to develop and explore alternative coping mechanisms.

LifeSIGNS is managed and led by people with personal experience of self-injury, and we are non-judgemental, non-directional, and respectful of our members’ and visitors’ life experiences and perceptions. The LifeSIGNS website is the centre of our vibrant community, and provides access to all of our services.

We are a UK small charity, run by a team of volunteers, led by a management committee.

We aim to support all people who are affected in anyway by self-injury within the United Kingdom and beyond. We support people using self-injury, and family and friends of people who self-injure, and professionals (including health care workers) who are interested in self-injury.

We focus on the UK, as we are aware of the laws and medical practices in the UK, but we are happy for people outside of the UK to interact with LifeSIGNS.

LifeSIGNS is membership based, which means that if you sign up for the Newsletter or join us on our Support Forum, Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, you are classed as a member. (Membership and the Newsletters are free.)

No one has to be a member to benefit from LifeSIGNS, we offer our services to everyone.