Description
Book SynopsisThis book is an essential resource for anyone who has a supporting role or relationship with someone who hurts themself, whether in a professional or informal context. It is also a useful resource for people who self-injure, to help them to explore their experiences and to keep themselves safe. Based on interviews with people who self-injure and frontline practitioners and service managers who work with them, it explores why people self-injure, debunks myths and misconceptions about self-injury, explains self-injury in the contexts of human embodiment and a social model approach to distress and illness, and offers practical strategies for responding in meaningful ways, including using creative practices and harm-reduction. A final chapter offers guidance on how to write a harm-reduction policy for self-injury that can be used across any health, education and social services setting. This is an essential book that promotes better understanding and thus better responses to self-injury, brought to life with the words of people with first-hand experience of self-injury, for whom it is, or has been, an important coping mechanism.The book closes with a short account of Zest, a voluntary sector organisation in Northern Ireland, whose success with people who self-injure demonstrates what the guidance in this book looks like when put into practice, and that it really does work.
Trade Review'This book is an excellent contemporary account of self-injury and approaches to supporting people who self-injure. The book will be an invaluable resource for anyone working in the field.' Hilary Lindsay, Director, Self-injury Support, Bristol; 'This is an immensely useful text that carefully combines sociological insights with practical advice on responding well to self-injury. The book provides a broad basis through which to develop a deeper understanding of the meanings self-injury has for diverse social groups, before going on to chart the similarly diverse ways that people who hurt themselves can be supported - or support themselves. Grounded in principles of social justice, this is a thoroughly refreshing guide that will be of use to anyone who encounters self-injury in their personal or professional lives.' Dr Amy Chandler, Chancellor's Fellow in Health, University of Edinburgh
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Self-injury essentials: understanding before intervention; 2. Embodying distress: the functions of self-injury; 3. The inner world: what is it like being you?; 4. A social model: context is everything; 5. Responding helpfully: embodied and social interventions; 6. Staying safe: harm-reduction; 7. Policy: making best practice happen; 8. Going the distance: a case study of Zest (Northern Ireland); Appendices: Policy examples and learning exercises
