Book Review: Freedom from Self-Harm

Book Review: Freedom from Self-Harm
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By Matthew Tull, PhD, About.com Guide

Created: April 13, 2009

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Post-traumatic stress disorder and deliberate self-harm (also called non-suicidal self-injury) are often linked.

"Deliberate self-harm" means doing something to cause immediate physical harm to yourself but not for the purpose of ending your life. Self-harm behaviors include cutting, burning, scratching, punching, or carving words or pictures on oneself.

Self-harm behavior can be difficult to stop and many people are reluctant to seek out treatment for self-harm due to the shame they feel about the behavior. Fortunately, there is a new self-help book available for people who deliberately self-harm.

A New Resource for Coping with Deliberate Self-Harm Behavior
Freedom from Self-Harm: Overcoming Self-Injury with Skills from DBT and Other Treatments (published by New Harbinger Publications) by Doctors Kim L. Gratz and Alexander L. Chapman may help those struggling with self-harm behavior.

Freedom from Self-Harm is an easy-to-read and accessible book that provides a wealth of information on:

•Why people often engage in self-harm
•Myths about self-harm
•Causes of self-harm behavior
•Mental health disorders that often co-occur with self-harm, such as PTSD and borderline personality disorder
•The consequences of self-harm
•Psychological treatments and medication that may be helpful for self-harm
•Coping skills for self-harm
The information provided in the book is up-to-date and presented in a validating and respectful manner. The authors also provide case examples throughout the book to help illustrate more complicated points.

Probably one of the greatest advantages of the book is its presentation of coping skills that someone struggling with self-harm could implement right away. For example, the book provides information on healthy ways of managing emotions (given that self-harm is often thought of as a way, albeit unhealthy, of regulating emotions), as well as worksheets to help people use these skills.

If you struggle from deliberate self-harm and are looking for a way to stop this behavior, you may benefit from checking out this great resource.