Resources for People who use Self-Harm

Find support within these spaces for people who use self-harm:

• Self-Injury Recovery & Awareness
  https://www.thesira.org/
  Self-Injury Recovery & Awareness support groups provide a safe space for people who use self-harm to come together to share experiences, strength, and hope without judgment or criticism.
• TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
  https://www.bfrb.org/
  The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors is an organization dedicated to supporting people who experience body-focused repetitive behaviors including hair pulling, skin picking, cheek biting, and skin biting.

These online communities are a good source for asynchronous support for people who use self-harm:

• r/selfharm
  https://www.reddit.com/r/selfharm/
  A subreddit for self-harmers to relate to each other, ask questions, and build up a community.
• Self Harm Recovery
  https://www.7cups.com/forum/selfharm/

Guides:

• Hurting Yourself
  https://namimass.org/wp-content/uploads/hurting-yourself.pdf
  A workbook about self-harm that encourages reflection from a non-coercive, self-compassionate, and harm reduction perspective. From the Icarus Project/Fireweed Collective.
• The Hurt Yourself Less Workbook
  https://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/faqs/the-hurt-yourself-less-workbook
  A workbook written by people who use self harm. It aims to help people understand self harm and to be kinder to their self.

Zines:

• Self Harm Alternatives Zin
  https://www.etsy.com/listing/1241675097/self-harm-alternatives-zine-mental
  Self Harm Alternatives zine is full of tips to recovering from self harm. Whether it’s for yourself or a loved one, it’s a lovely little guide for when you are struggling.
• Self Harm: A Zine About NSSI
  https://atomicbooks.com/products/self-harm-a-zine-about-nssi
  A zine about “non-suicidal self-injury.”

Books:

• Flesh Wounds? New Ways Of Understanding Self-Injury
  https://www.pccs-books.co.uk/products/flesh-wounds-new-ways-of-understanding-self-injury
  A book exploring the meaning and purpose of self-injury in an individual’s life, the experiences that might lead to self-injury, and which approaches and responses to self-injury are helpful and which are not. It is intended to be a resource for people who hurt themselves and for those who live and work with them.
• Healing Self-Injury: A Compassionate Guide for Parents and Other Loved Ones
  https://global.oup.com/academic/product/healing-self-injury-9780199391608?cc=us&lang=en&
  This book provides guidance to parents and others who love a young person struggling with self-injury. It offers strategies for identifying and alleviating sources of distress in children’s lives, improving family communication, and seeking professional help.
• Safe With Self-Injury: A Practical Guide To Understanding, Responding And Harm-Reduction
  https://www.pccs-books.co.uk/products/safe-with-self-injury
  This book explores why people self-injure, debunks myths and misconceptions about self-injury, explains self-injury in the contexts of human embodiment and a social model approach to distress and illness, and offers practical strategies for responding in meaningful ways, including using creative practices and harm-reduction.

Check out these resources for supporters of people who use self-harm:

• Ideas for Supporting Someone who Uses Self-Harm (from people who have used self-harm)
  https://namimass.org/wp-content/uploads/selfharmsupport.pdf
• Coping with Self-Harm: A Guide for Parents and Carers of Young People
  https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/new-guide-for-parents-who-are-coping-with-their-child2019s-self-harm-2018you-are-not-alone2019

Check out these additional resources about self-injury:

• Adolescent Self-Injury Foundation
  https://www.adolescentselfinjuryfoundation.com/
• Cornell Research Program for Self-Injury Recovery
  https://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/
• Healing Self-Injury
  https://healingselfinjury.com/
• LifeSigns
  https://www.lifesigns.org.uk/
• SAFE Alternatives
  https://selfinjury.com/
• Self-injury Outreach & Support
  https://sioutreach.org/
• Self Injury Support
  https://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/
• To Write Love On Her Arm
  https://twloha.com/