8 Common Myths about Self-Harm

May 8, 2009

We recently received a copy of Freedom from Self Harm: Overcoming Self-Injury with Skills from DBT and Other Treatments by Kim Gratz and Alexander Chapman and can highly recommend this book.

One of my favorite parts of the book is titled 8 Common Myths about Self-Harm. Here’s what the authors came up with:

1. Self-harm is the same as a suicide attempt.
2. Self-harm is superficial and not dangerous.
3. Self-harm is manipulative.
4. If you self-harm, you have borderline personality disorder.
5. Self-harm is a female problem.
6. Self-harm is crazy, sick, and irrational.
7. You must resolve your underlying issues before you can stop self-harm.
8. If you resolve all your underlying issues, your self-harm will go away.

Although this book is specifically intended for those who engage in self-harm, it should be a helpful resource for families and mental health professionals as well.