Hospital Permits Self-Injury

From BBC news:

Patients who self-harm are being allowed to do so under supervision in hospital in an innovative scheme.

The practice is being allowed as part of a six-month investigation into the care of people who self-harm at St George’s Hospital, Stafford.

Patients are allowed to carry on cutting themselves, but are also offered substitutes such as holding ice cubes or wearing tight elastic bands.

Traditional treatment techniques have involved confiscating implements such as knives or razors, or preventing people from self-harming.

But nurse Chris Holley, who is running the St George’s project, says taking away someone’s ability to self-harm takes away their method of coping, increasing traumatic feelings – and potentially increasing the risk that they will attempt suicide.

Read the rest of the article here

A Tribute to Forgotten Mental Patients

You may or may not have heard of this story. It was widely reported on about a year ago (The Mental Health Association of Portland site provides copies of many newspaper articles about it.)

Over 3,500 copper canisters contain the remains of patients who died at the Oregon State hospital from 1880 to 1970. These individuals were abandoned by their families and society. The state of Oregon is wrestling ideas about what to do with these unclaimed ashes.

Meanwhile the artist David Maisel has been photographing these canisters individually in a project called “Library of Dust.” These photographs feel like portraits, giving the remains of each person contained in these cans the individuality and uniqueness they have been denied for so long.

[via BoingBoing.net]

Wednesday Quote of the Week: Alison from “Mentally Unstable”

Saturday, March 18th 2006. On therapy:

I think therapy is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It feels like walking into fire on purpose and trusting that the burns will heal and I won’t die all shriveled up in a pool of black dust. Every time I step into the flames, I’m shaking so much I feel like I’m going to throw up. But I know now that if I don’t keep going I’ll prolly never stop screaming inside.

Mentally Unstable blog