Product Description

In Britain, one person in 130 is a self-mutilator; in the US self-mutilation is almost as common as bulimia and anorexia, yet the condition is not recognized as a clinical disorder and few understand it. This work has been written for the self-mutilator, parents, friends, and therapists and explains why the disorder manifests in self-harming behaviour and describes how the self-mutilator can be helped.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #303404 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 269 pages

Review
"Levenkron understands the need for sharing basic information about this taboo subject... As a therapist who has worked with this problem for more than 20 years, he has much to offer." New England Journal of Medicine "Levenkron diminishes the horror of self-harming, promotes understanding and offers hope. Similarly, through being inclusive he addresses the needs of sufferers, their families and health professionals alike... With compassion and patience... He demystifies the condition and brings it into the mainstream of medical practice. He's also very readable." New Statesman"

About the Author
A practicing psychotherapist, STEVEN LEVENKRON is the author of Anatomy of Anorexia (ISBN 0 393 32101 0).

Customer Reviews

Provides insight but not a self-help/straight forward guide
I used to self-harm regularly - and still resort to it during extremely stressful times when nothing else will work - and I bought several books on self-harm when I was in the depths of the behaviour.

"Cutting" is one of the books I bought and to be honest I kind of wish I hadn't.

Its not that it isn't a good book and that it doesn't provide detailed insight into the behaviour but I just found it the least helpful, informative & readable book out of all the books I read on the behaviour.

If you self-harm or if you want to know more about self-harm and you don't know much about the subject already or are looking for a book that will help you understand & control your behaviour then I wouldn't recommend this, there are other books available that are exactly what you are looking for.

If you are a therapist/doctor/whatever or really want to know lots more about the subject then this book would be a good buy. It is very informative in that sense but not one for the "lay person" (when it comes to self-harm).

An interesting read......
An interesting book, but not quite what I expected. As a cutter I was looking for a book that would give me an insight into why people self-harm. Although to some extent this book did, I would have prefered something a bit more general. This book focuses mainly on Levenkrons own theory about self-harm which he applies to all self injurers. I don't really know to what extent I agree with him so I didn't really feel that this book gave me a great insight. Perhaps a better read for those treating self injurers as opposed to those who actually harm themselves.

coping .. and overcoming
i myself am a self-mutilator, and this book has certainly helped both me, and my friends to understand the disorder (because that's what it is). i severely recommend this to any self-mutilators and their family and friends. it's very informative and really gives an insight to what it's like to suffer from this disorder.
and if you yourself are a self-mutilator, good luck .. you'll get there in the end :)