Resources about Self Mutilation

Self mutilation is physically harming your body or injuring yourself, most commonly with cutting although burning, bruising, taking drugs, alcoholism, or eating disorders with the primary intent of hurting yourself are other possibilities. Self harm most often starts during adolescence as a way of coping with depression, anxiety, abuse, or low self-esteem. The resources below are divided into "Research and Understanding," "Seeking help," and "Related Fiction."

While people who hurt themselves like this are not trying to commit suicide, the underlying causes of self harm might make someone consider suicide as an option. If this is the case, please call 1-800-SUICIDE right now.

Research and Understanding

**Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection Database.  2010.  Available through: http://www.worthingtonlibraries.org/research/databases/psychology-and-behavioral-sciences-collection.
This database provides articles from over 580 scholarly journals about psychology and other social sciences and can be searched for the latest articles about self mutilation when accessed with a library card.

Healthyplaceblogs. 2010. "My Experiences with Self Injury, Self Injury Coping Tools: Video." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73VHxBB6FTc.

This video is by someone who self-injures discussing her motivations for cutting and two coping strategies she learned in therapy.

 
Williams, Mary E.  2008.  Self Mutilation.  Opposing Viewpoints Series.  Detroit: Greehaven Press. 
This book covers all sides of the issue with an in-your-face kind of honesty and a variety of types of self mutilation including cutting, eating disorders, tattoos, and plastic surgery.

**Credo Reference.  2010.   Credo Research Database.  http://www.credoreference.com.

This database provides many scholarly articles on self mutilation that are excellent sources for writing research papers, though library card access is required and available through www.worthingtonlibraries.org.

S.A.F.E Alternatives.  2010.  Self Abuse Finally Ends.  http://www.selfinjury.com/

This website, partnered with the Edgewood Children's Center, provides information, resources, and treatment options to people who abuse themselves.

Leatham, Victoria.  2006.  Bloodletting: A memoir of secrets, self-harm, and survival.  Oakland, CA: New Harbringer Publications.  

This memoir gives all the details of Victoria's battle with self loathing and harm, showing an insider's perspective on what causes self mutilation and how to find a path out.

To Write Love On Her Arms.  2010.  http://www.twloha.com and  http://www.facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms.

This non profit movement provides facts, resources, and help for people suffering from depression and self injury through their online resources, social media, and nationwide awareness tour.

Plante, Lori G.  2007.  Bleeding to ease the pain: cutting, self-injury, and the adolescent search for self.    Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. 

This psychology book explains the reasons for adolescent self harm from a doctor's perspective with stories from her patients alongside her medical analysis.

Strong, Marilee.  1998.  A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain.  New York: Viking Penguin.

This book covers a range of issues associated with self mutilation including the psychology, psychobiology, and events that often lead to self injury.


Seeking Help

1-800-DONTCUT is a hotline from S.A.F.E. Alternatives devoted solely to providing resources to people who injure themselves.  However, this resource focuses more on long term help, so other numbers should be used if you want to hurt yourself right now.

1-800-SUICIDE is a crisis hotline by the Kristin Brooks Hope Center's Hopeline that connects people considering suicide with emergency service professionals 24/7.

 The National Youth Crisis Hotline is 1-800-442-HOPE (4673) and provides help to teens going through crises like pregnancy, abuse, substance use, and self harm 24/7.

Shapiro, Lawrence E.  2008.  Stopping the pain: a workbook for teens who cut and self-injure.  Oakland, CA: Instant Help Books, a division of New Harbinger Publishing.  
This workbook provides short, easy activities for teens who harm themselves to help them understand why they hurt themselves, how to seek help, and what they can do instead of injuring themselves.

Related Fiction

These books and movie all feature main characters who practice self mutilation and may provide help and further insight to teens in these situations, though they should not be used in research papers.

Levenkron, Steven.  1997.  The luckiest girl in the world.  New York: Scribner.

Katie looks like the perfect girl- gorgeous smile, fabulous ice skater with a devoted mother, but every hint of imperfection leaves her cutting her arms until she ends up in the hospital.

McCormick, Patricia.  2000.  Cut.  Ashville, NC: Front Street.

Dealing with the pain in her life through cutting takes Callie to a treatment center, but she can't relate to the eating disorders and drug abusers and just wants to get out.

Painful Secrets.  2009.  Vanguard Cinema.

This made for TV movie shows the pain and the shame that often accompany cutting as teenage Dawn tries to fit in and deal with her uncaring parents.

Stoehr, Shelley.  1991.  Crosses.  New York: Delacorte Press.

The intense pain Nancy feels inside finds an outlet as she discovers two of her new friends are "cutters" in this emotional, disturbing story.

At the bottom of the page is a constantly changing feed of blog posts with the tag "self injury" to give further insight.  These blogs are not endorsed as a source of information or treatment options, but they may show people currently struggling with this issue or discussing options.