Services / Deliberate Self Injury
SCW RESEARCH PROJECT
In 2009 the Sutherland Shire Council funded a research project into Deliberate Self Injury (DSI) in the local community. The objective of the research was to facilitate an improved understanding of, and response to, young people struggling with DSI, particularly within the area of the Sutherland Shire.
The results of this research have been compiled into a report that can be found here. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sutherland Shire Council for their support of this project.
SCW in the news about DSI:
June 2010 -
JJJ Hack Interview
JJJ's Hack show aired 30/6/2010 talking about DSI, Suicide and Youth Mental Health. Features SCW Clinical Manager Jeanene Ecob
To listen click here
April 2009- Taking Action on self Harm
Click here to see the article
April 2009 - Self Harm - ways of coping
Click here to see the article
July 2009 -Helping Hand to stop cycle of Self Harm
Click here to see the article
December 2009 - Helping to ease the pain of self harm
Click here to see the article
NOVEMBER 2009
Southern Community Welfare completed a pilot S.A.F.E. support group for young people who wish to end their Deliberate Self Injury. We will be running more groups in 2011, register your interest now via admin@scw.org.au .
For more information on the SAFE program, please click here www.safeinoz.com.au
Thank you to Sutherland shire Council for assisting with a grant to help fund this project.
Deliberate Self Injury
In this section you will find:
* What is Self Injury
* Our Services for Deliberate Self Injury
* Counselling and Support Services in Australia for Deliberate Self Injury
* Web Support and Information on Deliberate Self Injury
* Books and Other Resources on Deliberate Self Injury
* Articles and Studies on Deliberate Self Injury
This site is purely for the provision of information, not to state our opinions on what is or what is not self injury.
What is Deliberate Self Injury (DSI)?
Deliberate Self Injury (DSI) is a term used when you deliberately hurt yourself without the intent of suicide. Other names for self injury are self harm, cutting and self mutilation. This is often done by cutting, burning, hitting, scratching and picking. However this behairvour can come in even more severe forms such as bone breaking.
Why do people hurt themselves?
People injure themselves to relieve, express or control overwhelming emotional pain or psychological distress. It is often described as a maladaptive attempt at self help.
Some of the stressors that can trigger a person to self injure include:
Being overwhelmed or anxious, despair, wanting to punish others, feeling disappointed, depression, having thoughts of suicide, not feeling real or alive, practical problems, relationship issues, needing to control their bodies, intense pain needing to be released, feeling angry.
Each person who self injures has a unique story and reasons for why they choose this behaivour.
Services for Deliberate Self Injury
Southern Community Welfare aims to provide support by reducing the isolation and increasing the education surrounding the issue of self-injury. This is currently being achieved by our community information nights, individual counselling, website, workshops for professionals and our information booklet and brochures on self injury.
Comumunity Information Nights
If you would like an information night to be run in your area, please contact us on 9545 0299 or send an email to admin@scw.org.au . These evenings are aimed at giving an overall understanding of deliberate self injury and its impact. They are beneficial for mental health professionals, family, friends and consumers.
Our events page will be updated with each information evening.
Individual Counselling
One on one counselling for self injury and other issues involved in this area is available at Southern Community Welfare. Please telephone the office on 9545 0299 if you require an appointment.
Website
We will be updating our website information as often as possible, however changes can occur very quickly and our information may not always be current. Please contact us on 9545 0299 or admin@scw.org.au if you have any changes, information or new websites that may be helpful.
Workshops
These workshops are helpful for professionals who work with people who self injure. These have been conducted at RPA, CASAC Wollongong, Sutherland Hospital and Gymea. Please contact us if you would like to make a booking or discuss the content of these workshops.
Booklets and Brochures
In 2002 the Sutherland Shire Council offered a community grant to Southern Community Welfare for the production of a booklet on self-injury to be distributed to family, friends, professionals and people who self injure. Please click here to download the order form for bulk booklets to be sent to your organisation.
To download a copy of the "Scars on the Inside" booklet, please click here.
Our "Scars on the Inside" project is currently focusing on increasing education through the production of written information that can be distributed to doctors, mental health professionals and lay people. We are continuing to increase the awareness surrounding self injury through focusing on training/information nights in hospitals and the community.
Download our new "youth friendly" DSI brochure here. The brochure includes tear off sections that you can hand to family and friends as a first step to gaining support.
To order copies of any of our brochures, please download the order form above and fax to us on 02 9521 6252 or email our office at admin@scw.org.au
Should you require any further information, please email admin@scw.org.au
Other Australian Counselling Services and Support
National
Suicide Callback Counselling Service - 1300 659 467
www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Lifeline - 131114
www.lifeline.org.au
Victoria
Spectrum
Address: c/- Maroondah Hospital Po Box 135 Ringwood VIC 3135
Phone: 03 9871 3900
Nillumbik Community Health Service
917 Main Rd,
Eltham
Melbourne
03 94311333
www.nchs.org.au
Nillumbik is a community Health Service which has a large variety of programs, one of which is their Halm to Calm Project. They have information on self harm which you can download.
Queensland
B.R.I.S.S.C- Brisbane Rape @ Incest Survivors Support Centre
15 Morrisey St,
Woolongabba
Brisbane
Ph:07 33910004
www.brissc.org.au
BRISSC is a womens only space. It offers a resource called The Cruise which comprises of 12 post cards and a booklet which intends to raises awareness about self harm.
Websites on Deliberate Self Injury
Bristol Crisis Service for Women - http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/BCSW
Offers a confidential helpline service on Friday and Saturday nights between 9.00pm and 12.30am (UK Time) providing a safe supportive environment for women in emotional distress. Also provides information on self-injury in the form of booklets and a training pack for people working with those who self-injure.
Secret Shame - http://www.palace.net/~llama/psych/injury.html
Comprehensive site on self-injury. Primers, self-help section, mailing list and chat rooms. Member of the Bodies Under Siege web ring.
SAFE Canada (Self Abuse Finally Ends) - http://www.selfinjury.com/
The S.A.F.E. program is a registered non-profit organisation developed to meet the needs of self-abusive men and women whose prior experience with the mental health system left them increasingly dysfunctional and resistant. General information on self-abuse, programs offered and workshops.
More information and help can be found through these links:
http://www.firstsigns.org.uk/
http://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/
http://www.reachout.com.au/home.asp
http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/stories/s1182793.htm
Ideas on How to Stop
These sites contains a variety of ways that you can stop yourself from making that cut or burn or bruise right now.
http://www.crystal.palace.net/~llama/selfinjury/self.html
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/figskating/issues/siprint.html
http://www.palace.net/~llama/psych/
http://www.firstsigns.org.uk/
Books and Other Resources on Deliberate Self Injury.
Skin Game - A Cutters Memoir by Caroline Kettlewell
St Martins Press
ISBN: 0-312-20011-0
Available:www.amazon.com
Skin Game is a very personal account of a bright, intelligent young womans struggle with self-injury. I found it very easy to read, and related well to the described experiences. Of all the information and books I have read on self injury, this one definitely is the most impacting from the point of view that I, time and time again, understood and related to her experience.
Bodies under Siege by Armando Favazza
Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN: 0-8018-5299-4
Available: www.amazon.com
Armando Favazza is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the university of Missouri, Columbia. As you can imagine, this makes for a very technical read. Bodies Under Siege covers a wide range of self injury, including religion, culture, therapy, eating disorders etc. This is a good book for those who want to really understand and learn about the nitty gritty of self injury. Be prepared to have to concentrate!
Cutting by Steven Levrenkron
I would highly recommend reading this book if you are a self injurer, know a self injurer or are a practitioner. Steven Levrenkron has considerable expertise and knowledge in this area which he shares in the book, without coming across as too technical. He has some very good insight and observations on the issue.
A Bright Red Scream -Self Mutilation and the Language of Pain
by Marilee Strong
Viking
ISBN: 0-670-87781-6
Available: www.amazon.com
This book covers a great range not only because of subject matter, which includes psychology, sexual abuse, trauma and eating disorders, but also for the variety of stories in the book. This gives the reader a good, broad understanding of self-injury and how it can effect different peoples lives.
Because I Hurt - Healing the hurt within??byJan Sutton
Deliberate Self Injury Brochure
This brochure is for consumers, friends, family and people who work with self injury. It gives an overview of the issues of self injury including inserts on Who is involved in self injury?, Why would someone self injure?, When would someone self injure?, Where can I get help?, as well as emergency contact information. To download the "Scars on the Inside" brochure click here. If you would like to order bulk copies of this brochure,click here to download an order form or you can email admin@scw.org.au.
Deliberate Self Injury Training Workshops
This is a half day workshop for mental health professionals who care for people who deliberately self injure. This workshop is held on-site at Southern Community Welfare, or can be run at a venue of your choice if minimum participant requirements are met.
These workshops are run by an experienced therapist from SCW who has worked in the area of deliberate self-injury.
DSI Training topics
Definitions, and the problem of diagnosis
Case management assessment and decision making
Protective behaviours vs risk management containment
and therapeutic relationship self maintenance skills training.
Cost - $100 per participant or negotiated group cost
Contact Info - admin@scw.org.au