Today is National Self-Injury Awareness Day in the United States (despite that page still being about last year's day...). If you don't know anything about the prevalence and causes of self-injurious behaviour then today might be a good day to browse Deb Martinson's Secret Shame self-injury information and support page. Even if you aren't aware of it, it's likely that there are people in your life who use self-inflicted cuts or burns to handle stressful situations, and yet so few people know anything about the phenomenon.
1. Comment by Ashley on March 2, 2003 12:15 AM permalink
It is also National Self-Injury Awareness day in the UK and in Aussie land too. (I would of mentioned it earlier but wasn't 100% sure).
2. Comment by Crow on November 10, 2003 12:30 PM permalink
Self-Injury Awareness Day is the First of March every year.
See www.si-am.info for Self-Injury Awareness Information.
3. Comment by on July 14, 2004 3:32 AM permalink
whats the ribbon for self injusr awareness day bc ive looked it up and i ve gotten 2 answera i think it would be red and sky blue...but im not totatly sure...
4. Comment by manda on July 14, 2004 3:32 AM permalink
whats the ribbon for self injusr awareness day bc ive looked it up and i ve gotten 2 answera i think it would be red and sky blue...but im not totatly sure...
5. Comment by Emilee on November 16, 2004 3:06 AM permalink
I've also heard it is orange... I would like to know too
6. Comment by Noora on November 18, 2004 4:59 PM permalink
I think it's orange...?
7. Comment by Karla on December 1, 2004 8:34 AM permalink
hey all...the ribbons are red and black for injurers current and past/survivors, and orange and white for concerned parties, relatives, whatever...
8. Comment by karla on December 1, 2004 8:35 AM permalink
so basically...two ribbons glued together so that when they're looped around to make the ribbon...one half is red, the other black...yah...you get the point...
9. Comment by Brittany on January 3, 2005 3:39 AM permalink
well i hurd that orange is for self injury, and orange and white is for conserned parties and recovering self-injury
10. Comment by on January 10, 2005 2:56 AM permalink
Hmm, I'd been looking to find some and couldn't them, the website that was famous for them is a redirect... But as far as I know it's either red and black for survivors and white and orange for those concerned, or orange across the board.
11. Comment by Daniel on January 17, 2005 1:08 AM permalink
Orange band + White beads = The person self-harm's and wants to stop.
White band + Orange beads = Means the wearer supports people who self-harm...
Hope thats help :)
12. Comment by barbara on January 28, 2005 7:43 PM permalink
i dont know i always htough it was just orange. for all of it adn a clear bead for those that wanted to recover
13. Comment by Claire on January 28, 2005 9:35 PM permalink
on sites i've seen where you can buy jewellery there are often bracelets with orange beads (colour for self injury) with one white bead (colour for hope).
14. Comment by kate on February 23, 2005 1:58 AM permalink
i think orange is becoming more universal now. i started using it because the majority of the web pages i found had orange as the main color. i also got some information from www.si-am.info (website has changed now). visit my webpage and check out what i've got...it would take too long to type. peace.
15. Comment by melissa on February 27, 2005 7:04 PM permalink
orange = currently self injures orange and white = in recovery white = never self injured, but offers or support OR the color to wear if you don't want to reveal your history blue = mood disorders [depression, etc] red = eating disorders
16. Comment by adriana on February 27, 2005 9:50 PM permalink
i thought it was red and black for everyone. i have gotten like 4 different answers so im not so sure...
17. Comment by on February 27, 2005 9:52 PM permalink
but then again y should we have different colors for different ppl????? it just gets confusing to be quite honest...
18. Comment by Dawn on February 28, 2005 1:06 AM permalink
I'm going to wear 2 different ribbons. one orange and one black & red
19. Comment by Jami-Lyn on February 28, 2005 6:19 PM permalink
Okay I've looked on many sites and found that most of them are Red+Black ribbons= Injures Orange+White ribbons= Concerned Parties
20. Comment by Jessica on March 1, 2005 2:21 AM permalink
I've seen the red and sky blue ribbons. What are they sposed to mean?
21. Comment by kate on March 1, 2005 4:05 PM permalink
i dont know that a universal color was actually ever said. i think some people use blue and red, and some use orange. i like orange because it stands out more and people notice it!
22. Comment by Ashley on March 1, 2005 4:47 PM permalink
I heard it was:
orange=still injures self orange and white=survivor white=concerned parties
ive never heard black or red. I suppose today would be the day to figure it out though...
23. Comment by lisa on March 1, 2005 5:14 PM permalink
Plain Orange - Active self injurer Orange & White - Recovered/Trying to stop self injurer Yellow & Orange - Suicidal & self injurer Blue and Red - Depression/Mental Illness and Eating Disorders Plain Red - Anorexia Red & Orange - Ana & SI Red, Orange, White - Recovered Plain Purple: Bulimia Purple & Orange - Mia & SI Purple, Orange, White - Recovered
24. Comment by Casey on March 5, 2005 7:46 AM permalink
There needs to be a consensus on this....red is AIDS, and has been for years and years. Survivor vs concerned vs active is going to be confusing. Personally, I think orange is probably the best bet. Not identifying different types of people. Otherwise, you get people like the pro-ana groups that use identifiers for support in these habits.
Another FYI, purple is most common for sexual assault awareness. Yellow is known for (I believe) suicide awanreness and prevention.....these are pretty common national ones that the government sponsors.
25. Comment by Casey on March 5, 2005 7:50 AM permalink
I just wanted to add something. I used to self injure, but I will always be in "recovery" and never "recovered." As a (hopefully) future psychologist, I think that people need to realize that self-injury is a coping mechanism and shouldn't be confused with suicidal actions or ideation. People do much "crazier" things in the name of beauty, thinness, etc.
26. Comment by Emily on March 9, 2005 10:40 PM permalink
For ribbons its red and black. The orange is for BEADS - Orange beads if you self harm; - Orange and white if you used to; - White if you have never self harmed but understan
27. Comment by on March 15, 2005 6:30 PM permalink
Hey, if you read this, I've recently set up a forum that deals with self harmers, as well as their friends and families.
If anyone reading this would like to join, feel free. the adress is
http://com3.runboard.com/bperfectflaws
28. Comment by bex on March 20, 2005 7:34 PM permalink
where do you you get a free self-harm ribbon from?
29. Comment by ruby on March 30, 2005 12:08 PM permalink
********
it's orange - self injurer
orange and white - if you used to self injure
and white if you don't but are concerned/want to spread awareness
********
These ARE the colours used . . . def in UK anyway :D
30. Comment by ruby on March 30, 2005 12:08 PM permalink
********
it's orange - self injurer
orange and white - if you used to self injure
and white if you don't but are concerned/want to spread awareness
********
These ARE the colours used . . . def in UK anyway :D
31. Comment by on March 31, 2005 1:06 AM permalink
im a self injurer and suicidal so i would wear the orange ribbion and the yellow and orange?
~christine~
32. Comment by on April 5, 2005 12:15 AM permalink
where do you you get a free self-harm ribbon from?
33. Comment by on April 5, 2005 12:42 PM permalink
you can get the wristbands from recoveryourlife.com..... from the shop...
34. Comment by on April 5, 2005 12:42 PM permalink
you can get the wristbands from recoveryourlife.com..... from the shop...
35. Comment by Verity on April 12, 2005 9:23 AM permalink
Colour Meanings
Plain Orange - Self Harm (Awareness)
Orange with 1 white - Trying to stop Self Harm
Orange and White - Recovered Self Harmer
Yellow and Orange - Suicidal and Self Harm
Blue and Red - Depression/Mental Illness and Eating Disorders
Hope this helps...
36. Comment by em on April 12, 2005 9:10 PM permalink
wt cula do u fink i shud get if u usd 2 do self harm but dnt nemor-yet u dnt wnt ne1 2 no???
37. Comment by Jen on April 17, 2005 5:49 AM permalink
So plain orange is for current SI-ers, right? By reading the comments, there was some confusion on this.
38. Comment by Casey on April 18, 2005 7:04 AM permalink
Wow, this is confusing. If there are different colors for beads and ribbons, that's confusing, not to mention odd. I actually want to start some sort of SI awareness organization, and I'm going to say that orange is for self injury awareness. By adding different colors to mix in, it makes it confusing and hard to find "safe" people.
Yellow is suicide awareness/prevention. I'm getting trained as a part of the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention coalition in my area (midwest USA). The point of all this is to make the issue recognizeable without showing off "battle wounds"....agreed?
39. Comment by lisa on April 20, 2005 3:40 PM permalink
how do i get hold of these wristbands?
40. Comment by Laura on May 4, 2005 6:20 PM permalink
This is a website that you can really by the wristband ribbons from in the UK:
http://www.selfharmony.co.uk/shop.htm
41. Comment by kari on June 23, 2005 11:08 PM permalink
Hi! I'm looking for any sites that sell the SI awareness bracelet. I looked on the sites http://www.selfharmony.co.uk/shop.htm and recoveryourlife.com If anyone could give me any information..please email me!! Thanks!
42. Comment by Alex on July 4, 2005 9:40 PM permalink
i got my self harm awareness band from recoveryourlife.com it's black and says "damn cat" on it but there are other options available, i think that the cat one is best because (unless you self injure and have had to come up with excuses for it) other people wont know what it's about. the selfharmony.co.uk website is also good. it sells the ribbons and badges and bracelets. love Alex xxx
43. Comment by Kerry on July 21, 2005 7:50 PM permalink
i can not find any of the SI Awareness bands online. but i really would like to get one. if anyone here is involved in self harming. please feel free to join http://edgeofatmospher.phpbbweb.com/
a messege board and support central for those in need.
44. Comment by Rachael on September 8, 2005 11:55 PM permalink
I want i self harm bracelet but i have no money to pay for one. The reason i want one is because i use to self injure myself and i have done it recently. Thanks for posting my comment, Rachael.
45. Comment by Ruby on October 7, 2005 10:59 AM permalink
For those of you looking for self injury/harm awareness bracelets we sell both the 3 coloured bracelets (orange, orange & white, white) and the orange silicone wristbands that say "Time Heals" on them.
We can and do ship WORLDWIDE and offer many payment options ~ so have a look at the ebay page listed . . . you can also buy them straight of us if you email too =)
x x x
46. Comment by Ruby on October 8, 2005 9:29 AM permalink
Hi this is Ruby again lol ~
go to this link for awareness wristbands and bracelets
http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZtatteredtornandbroken
and because i forgot last time ~ you can email us at:
tatteredtornandbroken@gmail.com
for enquiries and/or orders worldwide =)
47. Comment by Rich on October 8, 2005 8:09 PM permalink
(Normally I disallow adverts and other commercial messages, but I am making an exception in this case.)
48. Comment by Kaona on October 12, 2005 11:16 PM permalink
Just so you guys know, you can get absolutely free SI bracelets here: http://www.freewebs.com/hope_yana/ The girl who runs this site said that she doesn't want any money for them, she just wants you to try to wear them often to raise awareness.
49. Comment by Chelce on December 4, 2005 2:54 AM permalink
Hey im a former SI and i still do. I hav attempted suicide and I have previously had anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Im doing reasearch on SI Awareness day because my friend told me about it and i was interested. If you could help me out in any way (ie. color clarification) please E-mail me
Teddybearbu09@aol.com or Bubaliciousbabygurl@yahoo.com or pyromaniac_chik09@yahoo.com
or just leave a commen on my Xanga
lon3ly_nd_w8in_2bfound
or vampire freaks
torn_bloody_heart
Thanx a bunch Chelce
50. Comment by carrie on February 6, 2006 10:47 AM permalink
well i'll be making and distributing orange and white ribbons this year - i ask for a donation to nshn. email me for details!
i used to make red + black, but lots of people are less keen on this. i feel different combinations is too confusing, so orange + white seems the best bet. people don't need to identify if they've self harmed or not.
carrie xx
51. Comment by carrie on February 6, 2006 10:48 AM permalink
oh, and i'm in the uk...
carrie xx
52. Comment by Jil on February 14, 2006 12:40 AM permalink
Or if you don't want to pay or can't pay, you can make one!
53. Comment by Elin on February 19, 2006 8:13 PM permalink
the colour for present s/hers is orange, www.recoveryourlife.com has the plastic bands, and the new bead ones should be up very soon.
i don't know if links are allowed, but this is very good, it has loads of information about SIAD and what you can do: http://www.selfharm.org/publications/sia/siad.html
54. Comment by ashley on February 27, 2006 5:33 AM permalink
if i want to order a self-injury bracelet or some other type of bracelet, how can i do it without my parents finding out?
55. Comment by Kellie on February 27, 2006 10:48 PM permalink
Hi Would really like to get a ribbon, realise I am a bit late but if anyone can tell me where in the uk i can buy one i'd be grateful. Sorry ashley, not sure if you can get onw eithout aprents finding out so it may get delivered etc. You can always say its a initiative at school and you's are raising awareness etc xx
56. Comment by lisa swinburn on March 22, 2006 2:10 PM permalink
do you ave any orange and white wristbands for a recovering self halmer please can you help me. Thank you From Lisa Swinburn
57. Comment by ? on May 25, 2006 10:58 PM permalink
I wear a band i made it`s orange beads and one white. What`s that for? `cus i think it`s for self harms and support but there seems to be lods of versions!! thanx
58. Comment by Harley Molesworth on May 31, 2006 11:19 PM permalink
Hey Guys
For those of you who are still interested in this - RecoverYourLife.com is now selling a huge choice of both Silicone and Hand made glass beaded bracelets.
As I say - there are tons to choose from, and now include the recovery/incentive bracelets - to help those who are trying to quit... hell RYL is even giving out free ones to it's members who are crossing the 1 one point to try our best to help!
And every single penny goes right back to helping those who Self Harm.
The address is : http://www.recoveryourlife.com/RYL_Shop/default.aspx
Hope that might be of help to those still searching
59. Comment by kg on July 11, 2006 5:58 PM permalink
i just wanted to see if i could talk to someone about self harm-we could help eachother out, i am happy to listen to them even if they aren't to me.
60. Comment by Sam Hayder on July 11, 2006 10:16 PM permalink
Hi all,
Equilibrium (www.selfharmony.co.uk) does a whole array of awareness merchandise, though we do sell out almost as soon as we get a new batch. Please also remember that we ship worldwide.
We're also proud to launch our new "Love | Life" campaign: http://www.selfharmony.co.uk/lovelife.htm The campaign is based around our new awareness merchandise, the Dog Tags, which are ultra durable and heavy duty aluminium ones that don't discolour or rust like steel ones. These are only £2 +P&P worldwide!
Equilibrium - Pioneers of self injury awareness :) http://www.selfharmony.co.uk
61. Comment by jonny on November 4, 2006 10:31 AM permalink
jonny
62. Comment by Amy on November 5, 2006 5:23 AM permalink
You can get the "SI Awareness" wristbands from www.lifesigns.org.uk They are plain orange.
63. Comment by Valentina on November 5, 2006 10:17 PM permalink
Hey! I "trust" wikipedia the most,so i belive the orange ribbon is the right one..see for yourselves: here is the explanation that the orange ribbon is the right one instead of the red/black- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_and_black_ribbon
and here you have "awearness ribbons" listed of all colours and explained what do they stand for- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awareness_ribbons
Hope I've helped,bye
64. Comment by Cortnie on November 8, 2006 9:30 PM permalink
I have a bracelet from lifesigns.org it is sold orange and says SI Awareness
65. Comment by jen on January 15, 2007 4:36 AM permalink
I think it just depends on how you feel about it. I wear orange, and am currently recovering, but some of my friends wear orange to support me.
66. Comment by guest on February 1, 2007 1:26 PM permalink
I know those silcone bands are in fashion but what keeps people from crafting their wristband themselves? Just want to point out you don't have to buy a piece of plastic to be supportive. Rather craft it yourself and donate some money to some organisation, or even better donate your help and work with activist!
Otherwise all the colors we fly will turn into nothing but empty phrases and vanity....
Peace
67. Comment by Katie on February 4, 2007 11:13 PM permalink
Just curious...what is everyone doing to bring Self-Injury Awareness Day to the forefront this year?
By the way...I believe the color is Orange.
68. Comment by Vanessa on May 24, 2007 11:09 PM permalink
I believe self-injury is prominent enough that it should be given international attention on a regular basis. Research is showing that self-injury among school-aged children is growing at an exponential rate worldwide. If this trend is to change, then parents, educators and health professionals should be exposed to the facts surrounding self-injury and be advised of treatment options. It is great that one day of the year has been allocated to self-injury, but it is up to others to ensure that it remains in people's thoughts consistently throughout the year. I have shared my thoughts on this issue on my blog as well and would love comments. http:comes_the_light.livejournal.com
69. Comment by Guest on June 1, 2007 5:00 PM permalink
Vanessa probably said it perfectly. Although one does have to consider the recent trend it has become.. I'm sure this has altered many studies' results. As the trend dies out, the studies should revert to accurate measures of it. However, pre-trend it was still prevalent enough to deserve international attention in my opinion, even with multiple errors in the figures taken. They class any behaviour that was inflicted on oneself, purposeful or without purpose as self harm in many scenarios - thus lending more toward misrepresentation in the studies.
70. Comment by on June 18, 2007 4:14 PM permalink
hey the colour for self injury is orange, recovery is white. braclets with a combination of the two are showing acertain stage of recovery.
blue and red are the colours for eating disorders.
if you guys want to help people who self injure or have eating disorders, pleas please please check out this website www.recoveryourlife.com. it is a support site for self injury, self harm (i.e. other than cutting) bi-poloar, other mental problems, eating disorders...basically everything that barely anyone ever talks about properly. please jsut look at it. there is an option to donate money to, but thats not why im posting this. i want to raise awareness of self injsut so more people can get help wihtout feeling liek they are freaks, or that people will laugh.
im nearly 16 years old, i have self injured since i was 14, i have had an eating disorder for 7 months, and have attempted suicide 3 times. being in this place is very lonely. recoveryourlife is somewhere where im not alone, or judged, and im aloud to be me.
71. Comment by samara on September 4, 2007 4:19 PM permalink
how can i get a ribbon in the US and how much does it cost
72. Comment by elizabeth. on October 12, 2007 12:25 AM permalink
i'm so happy there is a site for this.... i'm a recovering self injurer and currently struggling with relapses in bulimia and cutting and seeing all these people come together for the same cause....i'm overjoyed.
73. Comment by holy... on October 24, 2007 2:18 PM permalink
#36 says "wt cula do u fink i shud get if u usd 2 do self harm but dnt nemor-yet u dnt wnt ne1 2 no???"
holy crow, person! it would be easier for people to help you with your request if they could understand what you're trying to say. damn, go back to school...it does do some good.
translated for #36: hly croe, prson! it wuld b ezer fr peepl too hlp u wif yer reekwest if dey culd uhndrstnd wut yer triing too sy. dam, goh bak 2 skool...it duz do sum gud.
74. Comment by nikki on December 17, 2007 12:04 PM permalink
do you have to buy the bracelets or can you make your own? Do you have to use a certain kind of beads/string? Or does it matter? Could someone let me know how to make my own because I don't have the money to buy one. Thanks.
75. Comment by chelsie on December 31, 2007 4:56 AM permalink
I make my own glass-bead bracelets, for myself or I'll gift them to friends in need.
76. Comment by Autumn on August 7, 2008 3:05 AM permalink
I really would like a silicone one. I can't find one anywhere. Can anyone link me to one? :[