Date: Sun, 3 Dec 1995 11:30:38 -0500 (EST) To: sylviac@netcom.com From: cady@inforamp.net (Betsy) Subject: File of Self Abuse Posts (on MADNESS, Nov 95) X-UIDL: 815771281.039 Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 10:28:10 +0001 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Judi Chamberlin Subject: Re: Cutting To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS Content-Length: 129 There's a book called "Self Harm" written by a British survivor. I can get details if anyone is interested. Judi@world.std.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% X-UIDL: 815795795.000 X-Sender: cady@inforamp.net Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 15:50:19 -0500 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Betsy McKelvey Subject: Re: Cutting To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS Content-Length: 395 Judi wrote: >There's a book called "Self Harm" written by a British survivor. I can >get details if anyone is interested. > Judi - I'm a burner. I'd be very interested in details on the book. Also, I'm open to talking with anyone on MADNESS - publicy here or privately via e-mail - about self-abuse. Betsy %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% X-UIDL: 815771281.021 X-Sender: mstrong@pop.ozonline.com.au (Unverified) Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 17:24:46 +1100 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Ria Strong Subject: Re: Cutting To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS Content-Length: 1804 Cutting Cutting and self-injury are usually a way to relieve internal pressure. They may be seen as coping strategies. The behavior generally frightens the Mental Health Establishment and those who cut are restrained and medicated. The positive aspects are not understood, and the threatment worsens the internal pressure. What resources do we know about for people who cut to be able talk with each other? Are there any lists, Web pages? Web pages: * I'm planning to put a self-harm page in my new, improved Web site * There's a longing section on self-harm in the alt.sexual.abuse.recovery FAQ * Apart from that, there doesn't seem to be much around. Did a search on "self-harm"-- got a few borderline personality disorder URLs. Lists / newsgroups: * Nothing specific for cutting, as far as I know but the topic comes up fairly frequently on abuse lists / newsgroups (alt.support.abuse.recovery, alt.support.dissociation, More Than Survival) >What is the subscription information for *Cutting Edge*? I'd love to know, Sylvia. Someone else? >Frequently present cutting is a symptom of prior abuse. >Do the abuse related lists and resources deal with this? As mentioned above, there's a longish section in the a.s.a.r. FAQ, and the topic comes up fairly frequently in the newsgroups. One resource I do know of is a book specifically for women who self-harm-- can't think of the title off hand, but it's available from Pittsburgh Action Against Rape. I've ordered 2 copies for the VMIAC-- will tell you what it's like when I get them. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% X-Sender: busserv@homer04.u.washington.edu Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 12:09:34 -0800 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: "'Blast Dragon' Kieu Vu" Subject: Re: Self-harm Comments: To: SUICIDE-SUPPORT Distribution List Comments: cc: SA-post@wvnvm.wvnet.edu, suicide-support@research.canon.oz.au To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS Content-Length: 1230 I am trying to give up my self-harm habit. I think that if I keep continuing hurting myself, I am not going to have a life worth living. The fact, I know that I will eventually end up dead if I keep hurting myself. I don't want to die though there were times that I thought about killing myself... I used to hurt myself at least twice per month. I cut, shot myself with the BB gun with darts in it or overdose. It's hard to give up such habit. It feels like I am giving up doing drug or something. When I felt like hurting myself, but then I tried not to do that, I told myself, "I am not going to give up. I am not going to hurt myself. I am going to break the self harm cycle, and no matter how hard it is, I am not giving up!" I tried to do things to distract myself like listen to music, watch TV... anything that can possibly prevent me from thinking about harming myself. Well, so far I haven't hurt myself for about a month now. I don't feel any better, in fact, sometimes I feel worse. However, I am not going to give up. I know that the horrible feelings that I have when I don't hurt myself are just the withdraw symptoms... I am going to say some more, but I gotta go... {{{{{{{{{{Everyone}}}}}}}}} Kieu %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% X-Sender: mstrong@pop.ozonline.com.au Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 19:35:14 +1100 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Ria Strong Subject: Re: Self-harm To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS Content-Length: 4339 I used to self-harm a lot (burn, mostly-- sometimes cut). Several years ago, though, I vowed that I would stop. And I did!! :-) Stopping wasn't easy. At first, I thought about self-harm daily (if not hourly). Even now, I still think about it a fair bit, especially when I'm stressed out. But I _refuse_ to act on my thoughts!!! (I can be a stubborn bitch when I have to!) Why not self-harm? When I'm at my worst, and my thoughts at their most compelling, I find it hard to think of many reasons not to act on them (other than "It's not a good / healthy thing to do") A couple of months ago, I wrote to several relevant newsgroups (the abuse groups, alt.support.dissociation, alt.support.depression, etc) and asked people there for their "reasons not to self-harm". Here are some of the answers I got. Obviously, not all will be relevant for everybody-- take the ones you like, and leave the rest. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= REASONS NOT TO SELF-HARM: A COMPILATION LIST ------------------------------------------------------------------- : I deserve better than harming myself : I deserve to make myself happy. : Not harming myself is proof that I have choice over my actions. : Not harming myself is an act of basic self-respect and self-esteem. : Not harming myself breaks the abuse cycle-- my abuser harmed me back when I was little and had no choice, but now I can stop the abuse by no longer harming myself. : Not harming myself is self-empowerment. : Not harming myself is a way of honoring my gains as a survivor. : If I harm myself, then I have to live with the damage. : The thought of harming myself can give me pleasure, but actually harming myself would injure me, perhaps in a way that I could never heal from. : The pain from the damage of self-harm can only add to the pain I already have. : Pain can be cathartic, but self-damage can be a permanent injury that no catharsis will be able to heal. : Self-damage doesn't make my hurting go away-- though it may feel good for a while, in the long run it only makes it worse. : Self-damage is the voice of my perpetrator saying I am no good. If I harm myself, then part of me is agreeing with my perpetrator. : Harming myself doesn't make the pain go away, only makes it get worse. : If I don't harm myself, then I know the pain I feel isn't my fault. : If I harm myself, the pain from self-harm will become one more hurt that I will have to deal with. : If I harm myself, the pain from it will become confused with the pain which my abuser(s) caused to me. I don't want to be confused about who caused my pain. : I don't want to have to blame myself for hurting myself. Blame belongs on my abuser(s), not on me. : I choose to stop punishing myself by not harming myself. ------------------------------------------------------------------ : I hate the sight of blood, especially my own : I'd have to clean up the mess afterwards : If I self-harm, I will have to live with the scars ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Because I am not the enemy ------------------------------------------------------------------ : It doesn't do anything constructive : It doesn't make you feel better about yourself : It does reduce self-esteem and self-confidence : It aggravates the hell out of current issues, making you feel worse ------------------------------------------------------------------ : The beauty of who you are should not be taken away, not even a little bit : You deserve healing, not more pain : You are valued : All of us are stronger as you are stronger ------------------------------------------------------------------ : I deserve to make myself happy : I can choose to make myself safe : I can show myself respect every day ------------------------------------------------------------------ : I doesn't solve anything : It prevents me from feeling what is really wrong : It is a wierd thing to do =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Hope this helps someone. Ria :-) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% X-Sender: mstrong@pop.ozonline.com.au Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 19:35:20 +1100 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Ria Strong Subject: Re: Self-harm Comments: To: SA-post@wvnvm.wvnet.edu, suicide-support@research.canon.oz.au To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS Content-Length: 840 The topic of self-harm has come up on several lists recently. People have asked if there's a self-harm Web page. There isn't (as far as I know). I'm currently revising my personal Web site, and planned to include a self-harm section. The more I think about it, though, the more I think there's a need for be a seperate self-harm page. I'd be happy to write such a page-- but what could / should I include on it? I guess I'm looking for: * people's stories of self-harm, and giving up self-harm * resources to tell people about, either on the 'net or in real life Ideas or contributions, anyone? Ria :-) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 15:58:59 -0500 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: "Michael D. Weaver" Subject: Re: Self-harm To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS No need to harm yourself - just come on Madness and tell them you you're a professional and they will harm you. Mike Weaver Mikemad@tso.cin.ix.n et %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 11:00:28 +0001 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Judi Chamberlin Subject: "Self-Harm" book To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a book on self-harm from England, but didn't have the details. Well, I just found the book (it was buried on my desk--the organizationally impaired will understand!): Title: Self-Harm: Perspectives from Personal Experience Editor: Louise Roxanne Pembroke Publication data: Survivors Speak Out, 34 Osnaburgh Street, London NW1 3ND Price: None shown [approximately $10 U.S.] Hope this is helpful. Judi@world.std.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% X-Sender: cady@inforamp.net Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 01:16:58 -0500 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Betsy McKelvey Subject: Re: Self-harm To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS Kieu: A month without self-harm is **great**! and *hard* I know. Keep talking to us when you can - that's another way to help giving it up. I'm trying to stop too and I want to support you however I can; and that means even if you self-harm again. I know the pain of "I am not going to have a life worth living" - I bet all of us on madness do. I'm here for you. Cyberhugs, Betsy %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 10:03:13 -0800 Reply-To: User voices in public mental health Sender: User voices in public mental health From: Sylvia Caras Subject: Newsletter: The Cutting Edge To: Multiple recipients of list MADNESS *The Cutting Edge* P O Box 20819 Cleveland Ohio 44210 USA A Newsletter for Women Living With Self-Inflicted Violence %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ============================== Knowledge is wealth. Share it. cady@inforamp.net (416) 516-8654 fax (416) 516-3704 ==============================