Carnival June 2009: Self Harm

Welcome to the June 2009 edition of recovery from childhood sexual abuse. This edition was dedicated to exploring Self-Harm. Some of the contributions are directly about self-harm, others are about coping skills to help people not to harm themselves. As always, a special THANK YOU to all readers for their contributions. I trust you will have an interesting read and I am looking forward reading your feedback if you have any!

Listening to your inner child posted at Rabbit Write, saying: Consciously being gentle with yourself is essential in negating some of that harsh backlash that often happens after self work or achievement. One of the most effective methods I have learned to help foster a sense of empathy and delicacy towards the self is to carry and cradle a beloved stuffed animal. That action of holding something softly in your arms creates a sense of nurturing, caring and compassion that then easily transfers to yourself.

Suicidal Feelings posted at Befrienders Worldwide, saying We are born with the ability to take our own lives. Each year a million people make that choice. Even in societies where suicide is illegal or taboo, people still kill themselves. For many people who feel suicidal, there seems to be no other way out. Death describes their world at that moment and the strength of their suicidal feelings should not be under-estimated - they are real and powerful and immediate. There are no magic cures.

Self-harm (Self-Injury) posted at Befrienders Worldwide, saying People harm themselves in many ways, including cutting or burning, pulling out hair, hitting their bodies against something, drinking heavily or taking excessive amounts of drugs which can lead to an overdose.

There are many reasons why people self harm and the meaning for each person is unique but it is very often a way of dealing with very difficult thoughts and feelings and is often kept secret.

Self-harm and your relationships posted at TheSite.Org, saying Self-harm can be difficult for friends, family and even professionals to accept. TheSite.org looks at how relationships with people in your life might be affected and gives you suggestions for dealing with it.

Sexual Assault Awareness posted at Let's Talk about Race. saying When my intern first suggested I write a post in April about this being Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, I thought, “Yeah, I can do that.” I started the research and found information and statistics. But nothing was clicking in my head to write about. Then I started thinking about my own childhood and victimization.

Trapped Within my Body posted at Survivor's Revolution, saying I have never felt like my body was mine. For the majority of my life it really wasn't. It was just something I put up with while other people did as they pleased. Its no surprise that when things really got out of control, I started cutting myself.

Letters to My Therapist (2007/2008) posted at Secret Shadows, saying, "This is a series of posts consisting of emails sent to my therapist during my recovery from sexual abuse. The posts are listed in chronological order and cover many topics that present themselves during the course of therapy."

Letters to My Therapist (2009) « Secret Shadows posted at Secret Shadows, saying, "This post contains several entries consisting of email correspondences to my therapist during my treatment from sexual abuse. These are NOT posted in chronological order. These are posted in reverse. To read in chronological order, scroll to read the last one first. The posts reflect a variety of topics relevant to recovery from sexual abuse."

Art Therapy posted at Secret Shadows, saying, "Art Therapy has been very helpful to me during my recovery from sexual abuse. Art was my voice when I couldn't find it. This link will take you to all my posts listed under the category "Art Therapy"."

Bloom Where You're Planted posted at Secret Shadows. saying t is not what happens to us that maps out our life. It’s not the cards we’re dealt. Instead, it’s what we do with that that creates our life. It’s how we choose to play those cards that matters most. What happens to us, happens to us. What we choose to do with that, makes us who we are.

25 Ways to Avoid Self-Injury and Prevent Self-Harm « Discussing Dissociation posted at Discussing Dissociation, saying, "Thanks heaps for including my first submission to your April blog carnival -- I appreciate that! I am including an article for the Self-Harm category. This list of helpful ideas was compiled as a combined effort from a group of survivors who struggle with self-harm. I encourage survivors to try as many things from the list as they need to, one after another, until they can reach a place of safety. Thanks again, Kathy Broady (aka Kathy_B_from_AC on twitter)"

25 More Ways to Avoid Self-Injury and Prevent Self-Harm « Discussing Dissociation posted at Discussing Dissociation, saying, "Hi, it's Kathy Broady again. This is the second article also related to self-harm. It is actually a continuation of the first article I just submitted to you. I don't know if you will / can accept two articles, but they were both created from the same group of survivors who struggled with self-harm. There are no repeats of ideas. Each list of 25 is unique to the other. Thanks for your consideration of these articles, Kathy (aka Kathy_B_from_AC on twitter)"

100+ Ways to Spring Clean Your Mind and Body posted at Surgical Technician Schools. saying meditation is a mental discipline in which the individual uses simple mental exercises to enter a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. Anyone looking to cleanse their mind would do well to follow one or more of the meditation practices listed below.

That concludes this edition. The next edition is dedicated to exploring SEXUAL ABUSE AND THE BODY. Submit your blog article to the next edition of recovery from childhood sexual abuse using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.