The questions that Self Harm, The Path to Recovery addresses include:
- What is self harming?
- How does self harming develop?
- Is full recovery possible?
- How can a carer or parent help a self harmer?
The book is arranged in three parts; the first part defines self harming and looks at the sort of people who might become self harmers. It also asks why self harming is so addictive. The second part takes a detailed look at the emotional and psychological underpinnings of self harm, along with the practical issues it raises. The third section includes important information for carers, parents or professionals who are charged with caring for sufferers.
Self Harming - A Hidden Problem
Self harming is a way of coping with extreme emotions, according to Dr. Kate Middleton, Director of Anorexia and Bulimia Care, a charity working to support people with eating disorders. She identifies self harming as a way of escaping from overwhelming emotional pain, depression, anxiety and constant negative thoughts. Although suicidal thoughts may be part of this, she differentiates self harmers from those with suicidal tendencies.
For parents and family members it can come as a complete shock to find that a person is self harming, since it is usually done secretively and in ways that don't show on the outside. For example, some self harmers take substances that cause them pain or they might cut themselves on the body where the marks cannot be seen.
What is Self Harming and How Does it Arise?
Dr. Middleton defines self harming as "acting to deliberately injure yourself physically in an attempt to cope with, express or reduce intense or overwhelming emotions." Sufferers typically don't just feel a bit down or anxious - they are overcome by such powerful emotions that they need to find a release. It is a way of physically expressing the high levels of emotional pain that they are experiencing.
It can be for some sufferers a form of self punishment as they become increasingly angry and frustrated with themselves. But self harming is self perpetuating, as it is used to avoid recognising the deeper causes - the emotions behind their self hatred and lack of self worth. It is also thought that self harming triggers the body to make endorphins - the body's own form of pain relief.
Recovering from Self Harming
Dr. Middleton then goes on to describe how sufferers can start to deal with the underlying emotional confusion and pain. She explains the thought processes that lead up to self harming and the sense of isolation that it can cause.
Although a self harmer can decide they want to stop doing it, it is a good idea, Dr. Middleton states, for professional counseling to be sought in order to deal with the negative emotions and unhelpful thought patterns that are often at the basis of this condition. The book offers a great deal of useful information, insight and hope to aid both the recovering self harmer and those who are walking beside them on their journey towards greater self awareness.
Self Harm, The Path to Recovery, Middleton K & Garvie S, Lion Publishers, ISBN 978-0-7459-5319-9
