Relating To Self Harm And Suicide

Alessandra Lemma - Winner of the Levy-Goldfarb Award for Child Psychoanalysis! Relating to Self-Harm and Suicide presents original studies and research from contemporary psychoanalysts, therapists and academics focusing on the psychoanalytic understanding of suicide and self-harm, and how this can be applied to clinical work and policy. This powerful critique of current thinking suggests that suicide and self-harm must be understood as having meaning within interpersonal and intrapsychic relationships, offering a new and more hopeful dimension for prevention and recovery. Divided into three sections, the book includes: a theoretical overview examples of psychoanalytic practice with self-harming and suicidal patients applications of psychoanalytic thinking to suicide and self-harm prevention. Relating to Self-Harm and Suicide will be helpful to psychoanalytic therapists, analysts and mental health professionals wanting to integrate psychoanalytic ideas into their work with self-harmers and the suicidal. This text will also be of use to academics and professionals involved in suicidal prevention.

Description A serious pro-survival, pro-recovery book, written because I have been the survivor of many suicide attempts, not to forget also the person left behind after actual suicides, and the victim of serious self-harm in myself and those I love. I haven't attempted suicide or self-harmed for 8 years and I don't plan to do so again, but I always have my plan to hand. Starting at the age of 11, I have attempted suicide 443 times (sometimes barely surviving, twice dying, only to be revived) and for fifteen years I was a person who self-harmed - cutting and bloodletting, sometimes as self-harm, sometimes as a suicide attempt. The two are definitely linked but not all self-harm is suicidal, not all suicide attempts are meant to kill, and sadly about one million people kill themselves every year, not all of them meaning to. As I have also been the victim left behind when someone I loved took their own life, I really can see the issue from all perspectives. Allow me to fill you in on my personal experience first of all, so you know you are 'talking' to someone who really has been there before herself. Pull up a chair, or sit back in bed, and we will talk. About the Author Katy Sara Culling was born in Liverpool, North England, in January 1975, sharing her birth date rather aptly with Virginia Woolf. Daughter of Sue and Paul Culling, her family moved back to its roots in Derbyshire, where she grew up along with her younger sister Beth, in the village of Castle Donington, on the Derbyshire-Leicestershire border. However, even as young as 5 she exhibited symptoms of bipolar disorder (manic depression) - leading her to be loud and talkative, often in trouble. She also worried a great deal about death to an extent that is very unusual in one as young as she was. Not just her own death either. She attended a private school for girls, Loughborough High School, where she was an extremely high achieving student. Unfortunately, due to bullying and also to numb her rampant mania and depression, she developed anorexia nervosa and began to self-harm. She found that the anorexia and self-harming took over her life and made coping with mood swings easier because she did not feel their full effect anymore. Katy Sara then went to The University of Nottingham, where she studied Biochemistry and Nutrition. She did her (1st class) thesis on alcohol and metabolism, interested in the psychology of alcoholism. All this was done despite considerable illness including over 60 suicide attempts and purging-type anorexia - and yet more bullying. She was bullied for being anorexic by her fellow floor-mates. However her good academic work at Nottingham lead to an offer of a place at The University of Oxford, where she studied for a PhD (DPhil) in Clinical Medicine. Here she was a full time member of Linacre College Oxford and was never bullied. Linacre is a graduate only college. She took part in many cycling events for charity. In her final year she became so ill with anorexia and bipolar depression that she agreed to take time off her PhD (the worst decision of her life) and go into hospital (first as a day patient, then an inpatient on the general ward, and eventually a sectioned inpatient on the general ward). During those two years she attempted suicide over 300 times, dying twice, only to be revived. She also made several trips to the Emergency Room to be treated for either suicide attempts or self-harm. She finally, at the age of 28 got a diagnosis of bipolar I disorder and the correct medication, and had been mostly fine ever since. Her eating disorder spontaneously recovered when her bipolar disorder became more controlled. She later wrote up her PhD thesis and published her results. Katy Sara now works for the Bipolar Foundation - Equilibrium, an independent, international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving treatment and understanding of the causes and effects of bipolar disorder ('manic-depression'). Katy Sara

Originally published: London: Wayland, 2008.

Discovering that suicide and self-harm are part of your teen’s reality can set off a whirlwind of panic. Gain hope with this guide featuring 11 conversation starters to ease you into this sensitive topic and help you understand your child’s situation. Plus, uncover why these devastating incidents are on the rise, how to prevent them, and how to offer faith-based encouragement.

This accessible primer on adolescent mental health is as relevant as it is thoughtful. In five easy-to-follow chapters, readers will learn to recognize self-harming tendencies, understand the connections between suicide and self-harm, and learn strategies for coping with depression. Sidebars explore the influence of technology and social media on mental health and shed light on communities that are particularly at risk for suicide and self-harm, such as LGBTQ+ teens. Packed with resources, this guide provides self-care tips as well as advice on how to help a loved one who suffers from depression.

Self-harm in adolescence and late teens is known to be increasing, though it is difficult to detect and inconsistently recorded. This thorough, practical and evidence-based book provides guidance for professionals and parents caring for children and young people at risk of self-harm and suicide. Claudine Fox and Keith Hawton discuss risk factors for self-harm, including depression, substance abuse and antisocial behaviour, and critically examine key screening instruments that can be used to assess risk. They describe how suicidal behaviour can be managed and prevented, and look at the effectiveness of aftercare treatment for those who self-harm, including school-based suicide-prevention programs and family therapy. Also addressed are common myths about self-harm and the problem of varying definitions in this field. Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescence clearly summarizes and evaluates current research into suicidal behaviour - it is essential reading for social workers, mental health professionals, GPs, teachers and parents.

Suicide and self-harm are world-wide public health issues that can have devastating effects on families, friends and communities. They are both a priority for anyone working in mental health, social work, emergency departments and related fields, however suicidal and self-harming behaviour can take place anywhere anytime - it may be a pupil in a school, an inmate in a prison or a colleague or family member. For this reason, this book has been written in a clear, accessible and practical style for anyone who wants to learn more about working with and preventing suicidal and self-harming behaviour. - It identifies common risk and protective factors as well as specific warning signs of imminent suicidal behaviour - It provides essential communication skills for undertaking a risk assessment, illustrating how each skill can be used in real-life practice. - It looks specifically at the issue of self-harm and suicide in prisons, schools and emergency departments - It lays out clear strategies for identifying and addressing issues of self-care when working with people who are suicidal or who self-harm - It identifies how we can assist those who are bereaved following the death of a loved one by suicide Packed with learning outcomes, case scenarios and reflective questions, this book acts as a toolkit for anyone working in this difficult field.