Communicating with, about, and Through Self-Harm

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate harming of one's body without suicidal intent. NSSI tends to be secretive, often involving cutting, bruising, or burning on hidden parts of the body. While NSSI often occurs among adolescents, it is not limited to that age group. Communication and NSSI intersect in many ways, including conversation among family members, consultation with healthcare providers, representation in the media, discourse among people who self-injure, and even communication with oneself. Each chapter in Communicating With, About, and Through Self-Harm: Scarred Discourse addresses a different context of communication crucial to our understanding NSSI. An international group of clinicians and communication specialists describe, analyze, and explain how NSSI is communicated about, what NSSI is communicating, and how can we do a better job in communicating with others about NSSI. This book’s fundamental purpose is to empower individuals who self-injure as well as their families, friends, healthcare providers, and communities to better understand and deal with NSSI and the pressures that cause it.