Posted by Mark H. on March 20, 2000, at 15:47:35
In reply to You missed my point:Dr Bob please read this thread, posted by Kathleen on March 18, 2000, at 0:48:17
> I'm wondering if self injurers should discuss hurting themselves.I think Kathleen has asked a good question. I've given it a lot of thought in the last several days, and I still have to say my opinion is, "Yes."
From my point of view, the purpose of this forum is to share personal experiences, to ask questions and to offer perspective, and especially to have a safe place to discuss aspects of life and mental health that we may be afraid to discuss elsewhere, even with our closest family, friends, colleagues and medical advisors. This forum is not a replacement for professional care and therapy, but it can be a valuable adjunct and source of information and support.
Kathleen and I would probably agree that there are topics and modes of presentation that would be completely inappropriate, especially expressions of cruelty and encouragement of behavior that is illegal and/or dangerous.
But as long as the intention of the person posting is one of healing (or self-revealing) rather than harming, I think everyone should be welcomed and encouraged to discuss their experiences in as much detail as they wish.
I realize that intentions can be masked and also misinterpreted by others, but that still gives us an enormous amount of room to discuss taboos and behavior that cause people private shame and suffering and the possibility of relieving some of that suffering through better understanding and mutual support.
Let me use a relatively unemotional example from real life. I've known two people in our community, one profoundly schizophrenic, who were triggered by information about the Holocaust. Nevertheless, I don't suggest we remove books on the topic from the library, or that people should be required to prove their sanity before reading them. On the other hand, if I had a therapeutic contract with the person -- he or she asked for my advice -- I wouldn't hesitate to say, "Don't read that stuff! It doesn't help you!"
And I guess that's where I draw the line here. If a person says, "Don't read threads about self-injury if you're going to be triggered to hurt yourself," then that is good advice, and readers are free to take it or not. That's different, of course, than saying, "No more posts about self-injury." (Please note that Kathleen did NOT say that; she just asked the question.)
I have learned a lot from this thread, and I think the benefits outweigh the risks. I'm still open to changing my mind as I read more, but these are my thoughts thus far. I've ordered the recommended book from Amazon and look forward to learning more.
Many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread.
poster:Mark H.
thread:26764
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000312/msgs/27665.html