Self-Injury: Beyond the Myths. A Quick Guide to the Basics
by Deb Martinson

Fly on the Wall
An article overview on self-injury for the absolute beginner to this topic.
Fairly popularized but responsible version from Jane magazine
More impartial articles from Jane for the beginner to the topic. Most are suitable for younger female readers.

American Self-Harm Information Clearinghouse

Over 50 articles on self-injury
Excellent highly recommended, updated collection from a site by 'Gabrielle', a self-injurer.

Secret Shame Web Site on Self-Injury
Excellent (and biggest) web site on self-inflicted violence; highly recommended!
Read the excellent Help for Family and Friends of Self-Injurers

Psyke.org
Psyke is a Denmark-based non-profit site.
"It's an ongoing effort to collect information related to self injury in one place on the web."
Includes an active forum and many articles and resources. Nicely-done site.

SIARI: Self-injury & Related Issues (UK)
An excellent comprehensive site run by Jan Sutton, author of Healing the Hurt Within.
"An extensive UK resource offering information and support to self-injurers and their supporters. Includes research, references, resources, links, message board, self-injurers' quotes, poems, artwork, stories, and much more."

Self-Injury Community
at HealthyPlace.com

Kirsti's Self-Injury Site: UK resources

Off-Line Resources for Those Who Self-Injure

Self-inflicted Violence; Helping Those Who Hurt Themselves
by Tracy Alderman, PhD
Alderman, author of The Scarred Soul, is a leading therapist and researcher of self-injury.

Bristol Crisis Service for Women
This excellent group offers many services and support to women who self-injure. Publications available.

Self-Injury, Abuse & Trauma Resource Directory
Companion site to SIARI

An Introduction to Self-Mutilation and Its Presence on the Internet
An analysis of the Bodies Under Siege e-group, by Dina Cooper, 1998

BPD Self-Harm: You can heal it!
Excellent article from a recovered self-injurer and author

For Family and Friends: Self-Injury
Tips for non-Borderlines from Kharre's good home page on self-injury
Read her very nice "What and Why" essay

Can't Shout, Can't Scream : British E-zine for Self-Injury Issues
"WE WILL SHOUT, WE WILL SCREAM, WE WON'T HURT OURSELVES TO GET OUR PAIN OUT"

Penetrating The Skin
Elizabeth Nichols has a large new site up dealing with the topic of mental health and self-injury from a personal perspective. Poetry, reflections, support and resources for self-injurers.

Beneath The Skin: Self-Injury and The Road Back
A compelling personal narrative by Sarah Taylor.

A World of Hurt: Healing the Wounds of Self-Injury
by Sam Boykin

Pain perception during self-reported distress and calmness in patients with borderline personality disorder and self-mutilating behavior

The Body can become Addicted to Self-Injury
from the APA Monitor

Lysamena Project on Self-Injury
A very Christian site offering support and resources

Bodies Under Siege Web Ring
Dozens of personal web pages and sites dealing with self-injury

Icons of Flesh
Great essay on the significance of tatoos by Dr. James F. Hooper

Alternate Causes of Self-Injury
Great paper on the causes of self-injury in autistic disorders by Stephen M. Edelson

Self and Sacrifice: A Phenomenological Psychology of Sacred Pain
Ariel Glucklich, Harvard Theological Review, 1999
Provocative paper comparing the relation of present-day self-injury to historical religious self-injury.

Self-Mutilation and Art Therapy : Violent Healing
by Diana Milia
This is a book "based on the view of self-mutilation as a form of healing, or attempted healing, through violent or self-destructive means. Milia addresses the harming/healing process in sacrificial rituals designed to heal society; in rites of self-purification, healing, and maturity; and in performance art."

List of Therapists/Clinics who Specialize in Self-Injury
Great annotated list from the 'Secret Shame' web site on self-injury

Also see my Lists of Clinics & Therapists who treat BPD-related issues

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National Eating Disorders Association
New site and updated information (formerly EDAP). Great lists of links, therapists, articles, support, etc.

Something Fishy Web Site on Eating Disorders
Excellent comprehensive site for families/friends as well as those with EDs.
Has very active message boards and chats for family and friends: Support Finder
(This fabulous website began its life as a husband-and-wife music group, of all things: purchase their CD: "Scales are for Fish")

Mirror, Mirror Website on Eating Disorders
also a good large site with links to Canadian sites and a large list of treatment clinics in the USA and Canada.

Pale Reflections
Another good site on eating disorders with support boards and information for family/friends as well as sufferers. Links between self-injury and eating disorders are discussed.
Pale Reflections Free Weekly Email Newsletter for Those with Eating Disorders
Includes poetry, essays and information for those with EDs.

Understanding Emotions: Of Particular Interest to Carers/Partners of Someone with Anorexia Nervosa
This is a really good, detailed article, recommended!

Some Personal Experiences of Care-giving in Anorexia nervosa

The Psychopathology of Anorexia Nervosa
Nice overview of some of the personality traits of those with AN.

Anorexia and Bulimia - How Family & Friends Can Help
9 things you can do to help yourself understand your loved one.

Family/Friends of those with Eating Disorders
A nice page of tips and information for family & friends, acknowleging how the entire social circle of the sufferer is affected.

Codependency and Families with an Eating Disordered Member
Great explanation of the term "co-dependent" in this context.

Surviving an Eating Disorder: Strategies for Family and Friends
Great book!

Relationship between EDNOS and its subtypes and borderline personality disorder
Results of a study by Zanarini, et al 2001
"The results of this study suggest that EDNOS [Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified] is a separate cluster of eating disorders among borderline women, rather than a prodromal or residual form of a more clear-cut case of anorexia or bulimia nervosa."

Binge Eating As a Means for Evading Identity Issues: The Association Between an Avoidance Identity Style and Bulimic Behavior
by Heather A. Wheeler, Gerald R. Adams, and Leo Keating

Binge-Eating Disorder

Genetics of Eating Disorders
Results from research at the National Institutes for Mental Health.

Investigation of quality of the parental relationship as a risk factor for subclinical bulimia nervosa
Results of a study by Wade TD, Bulik CM, Kendler KS.,2001
"These results are supportive of the notion that a conflictual and distant marital relationship can, at least partially, act as an environmental risk factor for subclinical bulimia nervosa."

Sexual Anorexia
by Dr. Patrick Carnes, author of Sexual Anorexia

Eating Disorders and the Family: Controversies and Questions
by Deborah A. Lott, Psychiatric Times, September 1998
Well-written short article probing the genetic basis of eating disorders.

Abusive Relationships in Families of Women with Borderline Personality Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa and a Control Group
A study by Lise LaPorte, Ph.D. and Herta Guttman, M.D., F.R.C.P., August 2001
"In a group of intact families, we examined the rates and parameters of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse in 35 women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), 34 women with anorexia nervosa (AN), and 33 women without a clinical history (NC); their experience of multiple abuse and its correlation with their SCL-90-R scores; and their reports of abuse of their siblings. Corroboration of abuse was obtained from some parents in each group. Women with BPD suffered more intrafamilial verbal and physical abuse. Whereas AN and NC women experienced relatively rare single events of extrafamilial sexual abuse at an older age, those with BPD suffered repeated intrafamilial sexual abuse at a younger age and also suffered more multiple abuse. All multiply abused women had more psychopathology. Siblings were reported abused in the same proportions as subjects; many parents of BPDs corroborated their daughters¹ reports of all three forms of abuse."

Family Relationships
by Karen M. Wright
Excellent article detailing the similarities of family relationships in BPs and those with eating disorders.

The prevalence of borderline personality disorder among individuals with obesity - A critical review of the literature

Role of Sexual Orientation and Gender-Related Traits in Disordered Eating
by Jacqueline Lakkis, 1999

The Stigmatization of Eating Disorders
An excellent philosophical article by Gerald Russell, the UK College Of Surgeons.

Eating disorders - public perceptions and the experiences of surrerers and their families regarding stigmatisation
An overview by Nicky Bryant, British Eating Disorders Association.

When Your Son Has An Eating Disorder
Articles by Cris Haltom, Ph.D. Great explanation of the differences between EDs in men and women. Offers tips for parents

Eating Disorders in Males
by Leslie Knowlton, Psychiatric Times, September 1995

Eating disorders: Reverse Anorexia
"The most likely victims of muscle dysmorphia or reverse anorexia are men fuelled by the desire to be bulky."

Educational Coaching for Parents of Children with Anorexia or Related Eating Disorders
Excellent site that offers resources and teleworkshops for parents in this situation

Anorexia Survival Guide for Parents
A free monthly email newsletter for parents. Past issues of this excellent guide are viewable here

Rules for Loved Ones of a Person Recovering from an Eating Disorder

Empathy and Relationships
by Deborah J. Kuehnel, LCSW
Excellent article on the impact of eating disorders on adult intimate relationships.

The Way Back
A good introductory article on recovery from eating disorders.

Elizabeth's Story
Great autobiographical jouney to recovery from a eating disorder.

Eating Disorders Publications
Gurze Publications: "Specializing in Eating Disorders Publications and Education." A very well-done site with links & resources.
Online bookstore with more than 200 Eating Disorder titles!

Guided Imagery Treatment to Promote Self-Soothing in Bulimia Nervosa: A Theoretical Rationale
by Mary Jane Esplen, R.N., Ph.D. and Paul E. Garfinkel, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.

A Letter to Parents and Friends and Coping
by a Canadian woman with an eating disorder

Body Positive
"Boosting Body Image at Any Weight"
Has an email newsletter

Personality Profiles in Eating Disorders: Rethinking the Distinction Between Axis I and Axis II
by Drew Westen, Ph.D., and Jennifer Harnden-Fischer, Ph.D., 2001

Family Perception of Interpersonal Behavior as a Predictor in Eating Disorders: A Prospective, Six-Year Followup Study.
by Wolfgang Herzog, Fall 2000
Full text study

The Neglected Link Between Eating Disturbances and Aggressive Behavior in Girls
by Kevin M. Thompson, 1999
Full text study that found "Girls who endorsed binge eating and purging or dietary restriction had odds of aggressive behavior 2 to 4 times higher than girls w ho did not endorse these items. Logistic regression revealed that eating disturbances and aggressive behavior were significantly associated with both drug use and attempted suicide."

Center for Change
This Utah treatment clinic for women with eating disorders has some good articles on its homepage.

EDReferral.com
"The World's Most Comprehensive Eating Disorder Referral Organization"
Locate clinics, therapists and residential treatment programs for all forms of eating disorders.

Also see my Lists of Clinics & Therapists who treat BPD-related issues

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"Suicidal ideation is the last bastion of personal power for one who has been abused. When one experiences severe abuse, abuse that brings them in touch with the reality of death or the end of self, or self determinism, suicide is the last point at which they can say to themselves, "If I am to die anyway, or have become so damaged that life is no longer worth living, I at least have the power to take my own life." The thought of having such power, over and above the power of their abusers, the power of their pain, gives the individual strength. Sometimes it assists the abused individual in coping with the memories, the flash-backs, the sense of worthlessness that comes from a history of severe abuse.

Nevertheless, it also becomes a tool for control, long after the abuse has past. I remember using suicidal threats as a way of getting people to listen to me, to do as I asked, or to hammer home the need for them to feel sorry for me. I also found that using this tool gave me a "heady" feeling, a high if you will. That is because flirting with death gets the adrenalin flowing. This can become quite addictive, for adrenalin also causes the release of endorphins. These are chemicals produced by the brain that act on the central nervous system creating a sense of intoxication. Most street drugs are designed to mimic or trigger endorphins. This, in turn, generates a physical and psychological dependency.

Therefore, using suicidal threats, and entertaining suicidal ideations can become addictive and an extremely difficult habit to break. The main problem with this is that this addiction, like most others, can be lethal. To be sure, while one is under the influence of endorphin intoxication, they often feel all powerful, invincible, and thus lose sight of the reality of things. In this state one could, quite conceivably, kill themselves without really meaning to do so.

Of course, when I was in that position, I worked very hard to convince myself that my death would be of little consequence. I had no idea that in doing such a thing, I would have become an abuser too, the very type of individual I hated so much." -- Kerry Dennis

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Prevent Suicide Now.com -- Suicide Prevention, Awareness, and Support
Kevin Caruso is the founder, director, and editor-in-chief, and is highly dedicated and passionate about suicide prevention and awareness.
Prevent Suicide Now.com is one of the largest suicide prevention and awareness websites on the Internet. It is a very comprehensive site that is constantly being updated and includes numerous articles, a large directory of suicide hotlines, FAQs, a free suicide prevention program, an anti-bullying guide, a large directory of suicide support groups, and a myriad of other excellent resources.

"Why is it so hard for us to recover from being suicidal?"
by David L. Conroy, PhD

The Relationship Between Shame and Parasuicide in Borderline Personality Disorder
A full-text study by Milton Brown, Eric R. Levensky, & Marsha M. Linehan, 1997
This interesting study found that shame is a unique predictor for parasuicidal behavior.

Aborted suicide attempts: a new classification of suicidal behavior
Abstract of a study by Barber ME, Marzuk PM, Leon AC, Portera L., 1998
"Subjects who had made an aborted attempt were nearly twice as likely to have made an actual suicide attempt as subjects with no aborted attempts. Among subjects with both aborted and actual attempts, the first aborted attempt preceded the first actual attempt approximately half the time."

The Suicide Myth
by Shiloh S. Jiwanlal, 2001
"Suicide is a deadly decision rooted in biology and expressed in behavior. Knowing how to care for a patient who survives a suicide attempt requires a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of self-harm, who is susceptible, and how to intervene."

Risk factors for suicidal behavior in borderline personality disorder
Abstract of a study by Soloff PH, Lis JA, Kelly T, Cornelius J, Ulrich R., 1994

Are Suicide Attempters Who Self-Mutilate a Unique Population?
Abstract of a study by Barbara Stanley, Ph.D., et al., 2001
The study found that self-injurers with Cluster B disorders tend to downplay the seriousness of their suicide attempts.

Splitting and the psychodynamics of adolescent and young adult suicide attempts
Abstract of a study by Chabrol H, Sztulman H., 1997
Very interesting study.
Autobiographical memory and parasuicide in borderline personality disorder
by Startup M, Heard H, Swales M, Jones B, Williams JM, Jones RS., June 2001
Abstract of a study which suggests that the inability to remember autobiographical specifics is directly tied in to an innate protective mechanism reducing the chance of parasuicidal behavior.

The prisoners of despair: right hemisphere deficiency and suicide
I. Weinberg
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2000, 24:8 :799-815
Abstract (full text requires paid registration):

Characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder Associated With Suicidal Behavior
by Beth S. Brodsky, Ph.D., Kevin M. Malone, M.D.,et al. 1997

The Right to Commit Suicide: Yes and No Questions

Choosing To Live
by Thomas Ellis and Cory Newman. A must-read book for those contemplating suicide and those who want to help them.

Suicidology E-Group
"The Suicidology group is a research information network that facilitates the rapid dissemination of research information and news relevant to the study of the suicidal phenomena. It is specially dedicated to mental health professionals; Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Suicidologists, Therapists, Sociologists, but also to all the medical community and other people interested in suicide research and prevention."

Also see my Lists of Clinics & Therapists who treat BPD-related issues

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No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One
by Carla Fine
Excellent new book; "suicide survivor support group in hardcover"

SAVE.org
'Suicide Awareness Voices of Education'
"The mission of SAVE is to educate about suicide prevention and to speak for suicide survivors."
Articles, educational resources and support links.

Survivors Road to Healing
"Restoring Hope When There is None"
Excellent articles for survivors, coping tips, community awareness and a number of online support groups (Christian emphasis).

www.griefcompanion.org
This helpful site run by the Christian Bruderhof Foundation features writings from a variety of classic and contemporary writers that grieving people have found helpful and comforting. It includes five full-length books which can be freely downloaded and a "Sharing Board" to share your loss and grief with others.

Find a Local Survivors Group

The Yellow Ribbon Program
Teen Suicide Prevention site. Offers support for grieving parents and many resources.

1000 Deaths
Survivor support. Online boards and email support lists for survivors.

Compassionate Friends
Support and Assistance after the death of a child (of any age). Online support lists and grief resources.

Meeting of Hearts
A wonderful site for all those grieving the loss of a loved one. Has a live chat, reading resources, and a message board.

My Son, My Son ... A Guide to Healing after Death, Loss or Suicide
Survivor support. Online boards and email support lists for survivors.

Healing after the Suicide of a Loved One
Healing book by Ann Smolin, John Guinan

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International Young People & Self-Harm Information Resource
Wonderful listings for everyone up to 20 years old who self-injures or otherwise harms themselves.

Bodies Under Siege Web Board
Web Board with forums for self-injurers and family/friends; a supportive community run through the excellent Secret Shame web site. Requires registration.

Stop Harm Community
Support and discussion board for those who self-injure.

Bodies Under Siege Mailing List for Self-Injurers
and
Bodies Under Siege Mailing List for Friends/Family
These are two well-established email support lists that require an email address for subscription.

Bodies Under Siege Chatroom for Self-Injurers
Chat with others in real-time, a very supportive moderated group

Scar Tissue
Web Board for self-injurers; an active supportive community. Registration required to post.

The Sirius Project
Web Board for self-injurers; an active supportive community. Registration required to post.

BPDSHS
An extremely active unmoderated e-group for BPself-harmers

Scheduled Support Groups for Self-Injury topics
at Healthy Place.com

PSYKE Self-Injury Message Board

Self-Injury Message Board

Can't Shout Can't Scream Self-Injury Message Board
Brand-new: offered by the British Can't Shout Can't Scream site

Body Dysmorphic
E-group for support to sufferers of BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder).

Have-a-Heart Pages
"A rest stop from depression and thoughts of suicide"

Eating Disorder Recovery Pages
A great set of resources. This site has both open and secure discussion boards.

Body Positive Message Board
This board is for discussing positive ideas and input about lifestyle changes, not for emotional issues.

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