Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Everything?!

...~ What is self-harm? ~ Most people will know someone who self-harms or may even self-harmed themselves - yet, there are many who still do not know what self-harm. If you are one of them, read on... Self-harm, also known as self-injury and (discouraged) self-mutilation, is a coping mechanism. It is best described as intentional harm of one’s own body, causing tissue damage, without suicidal intent. It is most commonly in the form of cutting but is also burning, bruising, pulling out hair, biting, interfering with wound healing and self-poisoning. ~ UNTRUE myths about self-harm ~ There are many myths and rumours about what self-harm is and media coverage hasn't helped eliminate this ignorance. Most of the myths are wrong and often destructive, upsetting and offensive to people who self-harm. * Self-harm is attention seeking - self... Read review

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...What do you think when you hear of someone self harming? They are crazy? mental? total nutcases? Would you be freaked out if you new someone who self harmed? Try understanding. Maybe you should give people a bit more of a chnce. Society makes self harmers ashamed of themselves when at the end of the day they have an illness that needs treating. Thinking bad of self harmers does not help. I used to self harm, if I could not do something, if someone had ago at me, if I did something I thought I shouldnt have done, if I didnt feel in control of my life. Self harming made me feel in control of my life, it was something I did when I wanted to, how I wanted to. Now I know I wasn't in control, its like an addiction something you cant help doing. I havn't self harmed for about 2 years, now I am in control, if I feel like doing it I... Read review

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Advantages: very interesting
Disadvantages: none really

...This is a self-help manual. Go into any bookshop today and the shelves are crowded with self-help manuals promising easy fixes for everything from obesity to speaking infront of a crowd. De Botton's book is a welcome change. Instead of the usual management jargon, Alain De Botton draws his inspiration from within the rich vein of western philosophy. He explores problems such as not having enough money, unpopularity, a broken heart and so on, with the help of philosophers as diverse as Epicurus and Seneca, and Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. Alain de Botton's genuine talent, exemplified here is to show how philosophy is not just dry text but is something that is intensely practicle and that can help provide a balm (or consolation) for the presures of modern life. Any intelligent person will find something to admire in this book.... Read review

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...influence upon deviant behaviour. Previous research has shown that low self esteem is linked with crime and delinquency, racial prejudice, abuse of illegal drugs, alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy. That is not to say it is the only reason for these deviancies but that low self-esteem has a part to play. So what can be done to increase self-esteem? Increasing self esteem Raising self esteem has become such an issue that it has now become a very big business. There are many courses, books and seminars, which proclaim that they can help boost your self-esteem. The products on offer are in serious need of evaluation and people need to find out what works for them. There are many intervention methods available and techniques, which can be used to improve your self-esteem. I looked around the web for a site that offered advice on combating... Read review

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Advantages: none
Disadvantages: many

...To prevent worse happening A distraction to preoccupy your mind Security and safety Getting rid of the badness To cleanse oneself To get back at abusers Control Self harm for most people is a coping strategy, the way they cope with the things that have happened to them or are happening to them. The way they deal with feelings or emotions. The relationship between self help and suicide Self harm is generally not a failed suicide attempt. Self harm for some people is the next best thing to suicide. For a lot of people self-harm begins when thinking about suicide, some people feel like it’s wanting to be dead but not wanting to kill yourself. However not all people that self-harm want to kill themselves. Problems arise when the self-harm becomes more severe, it can be compared to people who take drugs to cope with problems. Self-harm is like... Read review

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Advantages: Uses time
Disadvantages: May find you hurt yourself more often than usual

...Are you finding your self with lots of spare time, getting bored of everything you do or do you just want to escape from it all? Well then buy a skateboard. Warning those of you who have played on Tony Hawks don't expect to pick up a board and skate with pro stats in an instance, skatboarding is a very technical sport with many tricks and flicks. Having to teach tricks to your self you may find that skating with or just watching good skaters may help you improve faster. A skateboard is a tool to be used by anti - townies only, so if you not a trev take up this sport / hobby.... Read review

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Advantages: A goldmine of information
Disadvantages: It may only be a dream but who cares

...If you have ever thought about building your own dream home then I can recommend a great magazine to help you explore the dream further. It's called Homebuilding & Renovating and is available at a newsagent for £2.95. This magazine comes out monthly and each issue looks at individuals who have built their own home, some almost totally by themselves. The articles go into great detail and always give the building costs, problems encountered and the savings normally made by going down the self-build route. Most of the stories featured prove that self-build can be a very cost-effective way to own your own home. Another important aspect of self-build is that you can make your home much more eco-friendly and energy-efficient than the usual house developer will, thereby helping save the planet and also your hard-earned cash via lower heating... Read review

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Advantages: Sense of release
Disadvantages: Scars, alienation of friends

...if he sees I have hurt myself and so now in connection with my self harming urge I receive huge feelings of guilt and I must struggle with the conflicting emotions of wanting to hurt myself and not wanting to hurt others. I have also resorted to hurting myself on the soles of my feet or other places where they are not likely to be seen. This is not a cry for help, this is not an attempt to get attention. All it is, is a self help mechanism. The Reasons People often ask ‘why do you do’ it. The deep rooted psychological reason for the behaviour is utterly beyond my comprehension. However, on a more superficial level I self harm because it makes me feel better. This may seem strange that pain or bodily harm or self abuse could help but it does, as many sufferers will agree. I feel a sort of release. I suppose there is so much... Read review

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Advantages: A release, abit of control
Disadvantages: You become addicted, ugly scars, not conifdent about wearing short sleeves.

..., behind at school, untrusting and although she was 7 when she came to live with us she acted like a 3 year old. I loved that little child so much but i was 12. Id just started secondry school. Life became a big blur of taking her to school, me going to school, picking her up, feeding her, trying to help her and trying to keep ontop of my own school work. I was exhausted and emotionally battered. And i began to self injure more and more until i was doing it at least twice a day everyday. I would cut, burn, overdose, pull out my hair. Anything just to feel the release. The massive emotional relase it gave me and the rush of adrenalin through my veins. I was addicted. After 6 months shan moved back in with her parents and things calmed down for me but i missed her incredibly. About a month after she moved home the same little girl who had first... Read review

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Advantages: well read, cheap price, good information
Disadvantages: not a miricle cure

...Susan Forward has written a few books which fall into the “self help” range. She is a Medical Doctor and lives and works in America and the book does slant towards the American market. However, I often recommend these types of books to my patients during therapy and “Toxic Parent” is one that I find myself recommending on a regular basis. The book talks about parental abuse and abuse in this book covers a wide variety of activities, from physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. The book helps by enabling the reader to look at past experiences and events and helps to process these in a way that lets the reader change the focus of their outlook and move through these difficult feeling to allow them to either start living their life as they would like to, or to enhance the life they are already living... Read review