Self Harm

Intentional self-harm, often in the form of cutting one's self, is generally associated with emotional or mental distress, especially when observed among teens. When in pain, the human body releases calming endorphins, leading some to injure themselves to experience the endorphin euphoria. Self-harm is associated with mental health disorders such as borderline personality disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. And while those who engage in self-harm may not intend themselves any serious physical injury, such risky behavior can result in death. Cutting and Self-Harm discusses the most common types of self-injurious behavior, what they mean, how they can be treated, and how they can be prevented. Chapters include: What Is Self-Harm? Who Engages In Self-Harm? Self-Harm and Mental Illness; Identification and Treatment of Self-Harm; and Prevention: How Do We Prevent Self-Harm?

Self-harm in adolescence and late teens is known to be increasing, though it is difficult to detect and inconsistently recorded. This thorough, practical and evidence-based book provides guidance for professionals and parents caring for children and young people at risk of self-harm and suicide. Claudine Fox and Keith Hawton discuss risk factors for self-harm, including depression, substance abuse and antisocial behaviour, and critically examine key screening instruments that can be used to assess risk. They describe how suicidal behaviour can be managed and prevented, and look at the effectiveness of aftercare treatment for those who self-harm, including school-based suicide-prevention programs and family therapy. Also addressed are common myths about self-harm and the problem of varying definitions in this field. Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescence clearly summarizes and evaluates current research into suicidal behaviour - it is essential reading for social workers, mental health professionals, GPs, teachers and parents.

Meet Asher - a teenager who self-harms to manage their feelings when it all feels like too much. The latest in the best-selling Can I Tell You About... series describes what self-harm is, along with the wide range of behaviours that qualify, why teens do it, and how to get help if you feel the need to self-harm. Reflecting on the different aspects of self-harming behaviour, including treatment of injuries and scars, this concise introduction dispels common myths and offers helpful resources to break the cycle of self-harm. By initiating the conversation around self-harm, this guide will offer alternative avenues for children and young adults to pursue when dealing with big feelings, such as professional counselling, distraction, and friends and family. This easy-to-read guide is suitable for readers 7+, along with their parents, teachers, and friends. All author royalties from the book will go towards the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.

The Aesthetics of Self-Harm presents a new approach to understanding parasuicidal behaviour, based upon an examination of online communities that promote performances of self-harm in the pursuit of an idealised beauty. The book considers how online communities provide a significant level of support for self-harmers and focuses on relevant case studies to establish a new model for the comprehension of the online supportive community. To do so, Alderton explores discussions of self-harm and disordered eating on social networks. She examines aesthetic trends that contextualise harmful behavior and help people to perform feelings of sadness and vulnerability online. Alderton argues that the traditional understanding of self-violence through medical discourse is important, but that it misses vital elements of human group activity and the motivating forces of visual imagery. Covering psychiatry and psychology, rhetoric and sociology, this book provides essential reading for psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists exploring group dynamics and ritual, and rhetoricians who are concerned with the communicative powers of images. It should also be of great interest to medical professionals dealing with self-harming patients.

Making Sense of Self-Harm provides an alternative approach to understanding nonsuicidal self-injury; using Cultural Sociology to analyse it more as a practice than an illness and exploring it as a powerful cultural idiom of personal distress and social estrangement that is peculiarly resonant with the symbolic life of late-modern society.

Self harm is a much more common occurrence than we might think. It is not something we may care to think about and it is easy not to spot the signs, even the obvious ones. Yet once the thoughts invade our thinking, they are compelling. This book explores the issues in a detailed and practical way, so that both sufferers from self-harm and their nearest and dearest can begin to deal with this terrible compulsion. How do we feel? What do we do when we realise that someone is self harming? How can we move past our own powerful feelings, to change a mindset that has become focused upon self destruction? We may not want to address this problem, and there are no easy answers. But if we do, we will be able to help ourselves – or someone we love – back to a fuller, healthier and happier life. This book will help us all to feel more confi dent about dealing with the issues – sufferer, professional and concerned lay person alike.

What is self-harm and what causes it? Learn the terms and concepts related to this type of behavior. Non-suicidal self-injury has been in existence to some extent for centuries. Today, the practices are increasing in terms of the number of people engaging in this often-baffling behavior. By the use of accessible language, rich descriptions of concepts, and realistic case examples, Cutting and Self Harm seeks to demystify these behaviors that afflict self-injuring individuals and negatively impact their family members and friends. Author Chris Simpson, PhD, has written and presented on the subject of self-harm since 2001. He begins the book by answering the question "What is cutting and self-harm and how does it occur?" and by explaining important terms and concepts related to the behavior. He then covers current controversies about self-harming behaviors and addresses frequently confusing topics, such as the contributing factors to self-injury, psychopharmacological treatment of the behavior, and the use of group therapeutic approaches in treatment facilities. The final section of the book presents additional resources for those impacted by self-injury.

What is self-harm and what causes it? Learn the terms and concepts related to this type of behavior. Non-suicidal self-injury has been in existence to some extent for centuries. Today, the practices are increasing in terms of the number of people engaging in this often-baffling behavior. By the use of accessible language, rich descriptions of concepts, and realistic case examples, Cutting and Self Harm seeks to demystify these behaviors that afflict self-injuring individuals and negatively impact their family members and friends. Author Chris Simpson, PhD, has written and presented on the subject of self-harm since 2001. He begins the book by answering the question "What is cutting and self-harm and how does it occur?" and by explaining important terms and concepts related to the behavior. He then covers current controversies about self-harming behaviors and addresses frequently confusing topics, such as the contributing factors to self-injury, psychopharmacological treatment of the behavior, and the use of group therapeutic approaches in treatment facilities. The final section of the book presents additional resources for those impacted by self-injury.

In 15-Minute Focus: Self-Harm and Self-Injury: When Emotional Pain Becomes Physical, author Dr. Leigh Bagwell offers an in-depth look at the who, what, and why of self-harm; more accurately called nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Students today face stressors on an unprecedented scale. From unstable world events to unsteady family situations, the external and internal pressures they experience can become overwhelming, and some turn to self-harm (NSSI) as a means to cope. On the outside, such behavior confuses and disturbs many people, even the teachers and parents who are closest to students. This book provides the research and perspective adults need to help kids who turn to NSSI as a means of dealing with their distress. In this book, you'll discover: - Types of NSSI behavior, including cutting, biting, hair pulling, and bruising - The relationship between self-harm (NSSI) and suicidal ideation - Signs and symptoms of NSSI beyond wounds and scars - Myths and truths about NSSI - Protocols for schools to follow when NSSI is suspected - How parents and schools can partner to help students in need This book features stories from students as they explain NSSI from their experiences, giving adults an inside look into the lives of those who struggle with this behavior. Also included are online resources that counselors and teachers can utilize, including infographics, NSSI assessments, and calming behaviors for use in place of self-harm.