Self-harm or self-injury is any action that people choose to do to hurt themselves. Men and women of all ages and from all cultural backgrounds self-harm. Many people cope with intense feelings by hurting themselves; they may feel different, isolated and struggle on their own. They may not know who to talk to, with information about self-harm not easy to come by.
A collection of books, leaflets, self-help books and other material has been developed in a partnership between Shropshire Council Community Services (Mental Health), Shropshire Libraries and South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, in consultation with MIND Shropshire. It has been put together by a group of people who have an interest in the subject, including some who cope by self-harming.
A booklet giving an introduction to the collection and a list of the books can be downloaded from this page.
Why have a collection?
The purpose of this collection is to provide a range of resources, information and contacts for people experiencing self-harm, as well as family members and friends who wish to understand and support them. There is little published on the topic and what there is can be hard to find. This is a unique resource which will also be useful to professional workers such as GPs, teachers and workers in social care who may come across self-harm in the course of their work, and to students for study and research.
Self-harm is an indicator of other problems. For this reason, the collection includes information on related issues such as eating disorders, bullying, domestic violence, abuse and loss. Books to help build self-esteem and confidence are also included.
Most of the collection can be borrowed, but some items which can only be used as reference can be consulted at the Library At The Lantern. Follow the link for information about opening times. The items that can be borrowed can be requested from any Shropshire Libraries Service Point or on-line.
The Library At The Lantern has a resource base of many of the organisations, both regional and national, which offer advice and support to people who self-harm, and to their families and friends. Follow the links to some of the organisations who have web-based information.