previous Vanderpump Rules Star and current podcaster Stassi Schroeder wasn’t sure how she was going to deal with her young daughter Harper’s experience of self-harm.
Talking to Bustle about her new book you can’t have everythingThe 36-year-old mother-of-two has spoken publicly about her experience with self-harm for the first time, noting that she’s grateful her three-year-old daughter is finally speaking out about it.
“When I would look at myself naked, Hartford would see a little line and she would say, ‘Mom, oops,'” Schroeder told Buster. It felt dirty. How do I explain to her that this is something I choose to do?
Schroeder talks about her past of self-harm in her new book, and she hopes being open and honest about her experience will inspire others to talk about their feelings.
“It feels like a secret, and I don’t like secrets. I think that’s maybe part of the reason why I do what I do — podcasting, just living out loud,” Schroeder explains. “Because there’s this feeling of: ‘I’m free. Everybody knows about me. I don’t have to hide anything.'”
According to Recovery Village, approximately 17% of people will self-harm in their lifetime, and the average age at the first self-harm incident is just 13 years old.
Forty-five percent used cutting as a method of self-harm. Although 50% of people seek help for self-harm, they turn to friends rather than medical professionals.
Schroeder has a daughter and 11-month-old son Messer Rhys with husband Beau Clark, 44.
Earlier this year, the reality star spoke about the transition of becoming a mother of two, noting that having two children is “so different” and “very intense.”
“I don’t think anyone warned me correctly that going from one to two is harder than going from zero to one. Because now my husband and I are like…one on top of the other,” she told People.
“So we have less and less time to be adults. But we’ve totally got the hang of it. So, life gets easier every day.
Are you or someone you know in crisis? Find out more about using helplines for self-harm.
