Bodily Harm: The Breakthrough Healing Program For Self-Injurers (Paperback)

by Karen Conterio (Author), Wendy Lader (Author), Jennifer Kingson Bloom (Author) "Ashley P. is sixteen..." (more)
Key Phrases: participation agreement, Impulse Control Log, Twelve Step, No-Harm Contract (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Operating a clinic in the Chicago area since 1985, Conterio and Lader have developed a program for people who cut, burn and otherwise mutilate themselves. This behavior, in their view, is neither a disease nor an addiction, but rather "a matter of choice... a mechanism to cope with stress, relieve inexpressible feelings, and gain attention." The authors take this view not to blame the afflicted, but to emphasize that, in their "S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends) Alternatives" program, patients can and do "learn to make a different choice." This tack differs somewhat from those of some other recent books on the subjectAfor example, Steven Levenkron's Cutting (Forecasts, April 20)Ain rejecting the disease model that establishes self-injury as a disorder akin to obsessive-compulsive disorder or alcoholism. The line Conterio and Lader draw is a fine one, though, as they refer to self-injury as a "compulsion," and as the questions they pose to identify a self-injurer includes such phrases as "compulsively drawn," "get a 'high'" and "consume your thoughts." The authors describe an impressive treatment program, using a "toolbox" consisting of psychotherapy, a No-Harm Contract, an Impulse Control Log, Five Alternatives and many writing assignments. In a four-week program with follow-up care, they teach patients self-acceptance and verbal expression as a healthier alternative to self-injury. This is a thorough and helpful guide for patient, loved ones and therapists alike. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Self-injury is one of our society's fastest-growing and most disturbing epidemics. Bodily Harm is the most authoritative examination of this alarming syndrome and the first to offer a comprehensive treatment regimen. Written by the directors of S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends) Alternatives, it clearly defines what cutting is and explains the kinds of emotional trauma that can lead to self-mutilation. Most importantly, Bodily Harm offers a course of treatment based on years of experience and extensive clinical research; as well as compassion, advice, and hope for the afflicted and their loved ones.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (October 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786885041
• ISBN-13: 978-0786885046
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sorry, but there's no one answer, no one "miracle" program, October 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bodily Harm: The Breakthrough Treatment Program for Self-Injurers (Hardcover)

I'm sorry as someone working in the social services area working with kids many of whom are self-injurers, I just think we're in the very, very early stage of understanding self-injurers and how to identify modalities that will produce long term change. I find this book interesting and useful, but I'm a little uneasy that almost all of the people who seem to rave about it are actually people who have been able to afford their expensive program (and I'm not knocking the fact that inpatient programs do tend to be expensive). I don't question that they are very helpful to many people, but none of my clients could ever dream of affording the "only treatment that works." I've never heard of professionals making such claims for any of the other posttraumatic stress disorders, which is what I think we're dealing with here. None of the world renowned experts in PTSD believe that there are easy or single "cures" that are effective for a high percentage of people, and that is what makes me skeptical about the claims here. And unfortunately, professionals who want to make claims about treatment modalities, usually have to do controlled research tovalidate the efficacy of their methods. The SAFE people have never done that. That's the difference between hype and hope. I can't help but notice that many of these "reviews" sound like ads for the SAFE program, although I don't doubt the enthusiasm of those who have been helped. My point is that there are many, many of us who are working in the very challenging area of providing support, understanding, encouragement and tools for growth for self-injurers. If there were easy answers that worked for everybody, we would see a study that demonstrated that.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and insightful read, February 13, 2006

By	Jennifer K. Paweleck-Bellingrodt, Psy.D. (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews

this is a thought-provoking book about self-injury and healing. the book is well-written and very descriptive. many narratives are used in the text, and this helps to create a greater understanding of individual experiences and struggles. this is important because each of us experiences things in our own way. that perception then becomes reality for us. once that happens, we find ways to deal with the emotional intensity that this can create. for many, the coping mechanism of choice is self-injury. self-injury is very difficult for many people to understand--even those who self-mutilate often come to treatment without a real understanding of why they harm themselves. once you understand the chain of events, you can start to better understand the compulsive nature of this behavior, the way in which the self-injurer sees self-harm as the only alternative, the only way to obtain some relief from the present experience. one caveat--i disagree with the authors' depiction of self-mutilation as NOT a manifestation of addiction. in my work with patients who self-injure, it has become very clear to me that this behavior feels very compulsive and can become habitual. also, in line with the AA model of treating addiction, patients most often do better when they recognize the power that self-injury has over them and start to explore the origins of their psychological pain in an attempt to stop expressing this pain through self-harm. information on the SAFE Alternatives program is also very helpful. statistics regarding success and healing are very encouraging, and these authors clearly have a good thing going. another excellent read is marilee strong's book *a bright red scream: self-mutilation and the language of pain.*

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete and Very Helpful Book, July 30, 1999

By	Sarah Taylor ([e-mail]) (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bodily Harm: The Breakthrough Treatment Program for Self-Injurers (Hardcover)

Having recently gone through the SAFE Alternatives program myself, I can say that this book follows closely the inpatient treatment program and ideas, and would probably be very useful to people who cannot afford the program or who have been denied access to it for whatever reason. I agree with other reviewers who say that the program is presented as a "cure," which I don't quite think it is. What I do think it is, and what this book is, is a wonderful starting point on the road to real self-understanding and ending of self-injury. It's not a cure-all, and it's not guaranteed. I have injured since completing the program, but I have done so far less frequently and far less severely. The urges are less pronounced and I have more tools with which to deal with them. I recommend this book especially to family member of self-injurers as a way to understand the phenomenon, and also to people who are themselves injurers, because it is far less triggering than other books on the same subject.