Self injury (SI) is described as “an act which involves deliberately inflicting pain and/or injury to one’s own body, but without suicidal intent.” [1] Another definition, from the Christian psychologist Dr Kate Middleton states that self injury is: “acting to deliberately injure yourself physically in an attempt to cope with, express or reduce intense or […]
G2SI: Introduction
September 6, 2012 by 2 Comments
Self injury is a serious, and relatively common problem. Women and men, children, teenagers and adults self injure, and it can happen to anyone, from any race, background or culture. A study suggested that between 4.6% and 6.6% of the UK population had self injured although this may be an under-reporting as another study showed […]
Review: The Cutting Edge
September 4, 2012 by 1 Comment
This post is a review of “The Cutting Edge: Clinging to God in the Face of Self-harm” by Jess Wilson (Milton Keynes: Authentic Media, 2008) This 73-page book is, as the title suggests, a specifically Christian book about self injury. The author, Jess Wilson, is a former self injurer herself, and the book relates her […]
Self Injury and Such
August 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I self harmed for quite a number of years, and have some scars to show for it. I haven’t self injured for 6 months/year now (I have forgotten, and it is wonderful that it has been so absent from my life that I have been able to forget!) It was a big part of my […]
Self-Injury: Sinful?
June 29, 2012 by 4 Comments
I first self injured when I was 14. It became a bigger part of my life when I went through an acute episode of bipolar disorder (mostly characterised by depression) when I was 21/22, and I became a Christian at 22. Since then I have occasionally self harmed – though not with the same intensity […]
Self Injury: Attention Seeking?
June 19, 2012 by 2 Comments
Self injury is not the hidden condition it once was. The sterling efforts of doctors, academics and patients have led to a widespread understanding of self injury as a means by which some people cope with their emotions, or trauma. At present it is a recognised symptom of borderline personality disorder (emotionally unstable personality disorder) […]
The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20)
June 11, 2012 by 7 Comments
There are not many accounts in the Bible of people self-harming and this story, in Mark 5:1-20 of a possessed man living in the tombs, whose encounter with Christ led to a complete change in his life, has always caught my attention. I would like to tackle this a couple of ways. Firstly I would […]
Jesus of the Scars
June 9, 2012 by 1 Comment
This is a poem by Edward Shillito (1872-1948) which, as a recovering self-injurer, has special meaning to me: Jesus of the Scars If we have never sought, we seek Thee now; Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars; We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow; We must have Thee, O Jesus […]
Time to do some planning
May 22, 2012 by 2 Comments
I have been thinking of what to write on this blog. My creativity seems to have become sadly impaired in the years on medication, so I’ve been having some difficulty deciding what to write. I may expand a little, moving from specifically “Christianity+mental health” to more generally “mental health” and some general “Christian” posts. However […]
Don’t Have to Scream
April 6, 2012 by 1 Comment
“Scream” – Zoegirl Does anybody know how I feel? Sometimes I’m numb, sometimes I’m overcome Does anybody care what’s going on? Do I have to wear my scars like a badge on my arm For you to see me, I need release Do I have to scream for you to hear me? Do I have to […]
Believer's Brain 