Archive for March, 2010

Reviewed by May Cheung, Community Health Education Center Intern
Secrets that we keep; things that we are too afraid to talk about; gruesome realities we are too intimidated to face; feelings deep in our hearts we are overwhelmed by that we are trying to hide; events happening in the past that are so terrifying we cannot overcome them; being alone in the world with nobody to rely on, nobody to trust, nobody at all. What to do? Who am I? Why do I even exist? How am I supposed to cope with this? Here is a solution: self-mutilation.
Unlike illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, or stroke, self-mutilation is not something that most of us can relate to or sympathize with. The thought of intentionally harming oneself is often too horrific for most of us to imagine. Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation is a book that helps us understand what the victims of self-mutilation are going through when they are committing these horrific acts.
In Cutting, Steven Levenkron investigated the cause of self-mutilation and its recovery process. He pointed out that most of the self-mutilators were victims of childhood abuse such as verbal abuse, beating, incest, rape, and so on. Often the abuser would be a family member the child has a close relationship with; therefore, to recreate the feeling of closeness when the self-mutilator is lonely and depressed, they inflict pain on themselves. However, not all self-mutilators are victims of abuse. Some of them have fused “pain” with “gain,” and feel that controlling pain is something they are good at. For some other self-mutilators, cutting is just simply a way to release their anger towards others, the world, and themselves. Cutting described how self-mutilating behavior can sometimes be combined with anorexia or OCD, which complicates the nature of the illness even more.
As a psychotherapist, Steven Levenkron worked to help victims of psycho-disorders such as eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and self-mutilation to get on the path to recovery. Cutting is written not only for self-mutilators, but also for their families, friends, and others who wish to learn more about the emotional process and distress that self-mutilation victims are undergoing.
Community Health Education Ctr RC552.S4 L48 1998 Non-circulating
To view this title or other health-related books visit the Community Health Education Center (CHEC). The CHEC is located on the ground floor of the VCUHS Gateway Building on the MCV Campus.