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I’m honored that SCARS is a recommended YA read in Michelle Falter’s thoughtful, insightful post on mental health and social justice. I agree that we need to be brave and talk about our issues; eventually it will help create greater understanding, compassion, and empathy.I have long been open that, as a direct result of daily/nightly rape and torture at the hands of my family, I suffer from severe depression, PTSD, anxiety/panic attacks, and dissociation, among other things, and I used to self-harm to cope. I also tried to kill myself as a teen. Abuse leaves lasting effects. And yet we can find ways to cope and to heal. And part of that, I believe, is being able to be open about what we’re going through, let go of societal shame or judgement, and find acceptance in ourselves and from people we are close to. Give high-school teacher and educator Michelle Falter’s post a read; I thought it was fantastic. I would personally prefer the term “mental health,” but I wholeheartedly agree with her sentiments! Read it here: http://goo.gl/6VMDDt.
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I am honored to have two of my books–SCARS and STAINED–included under PTSD/Abuse & Assault in “Bibliotherapy for Teens: Helpful Tips and Recommended Fiction” by librarian Erin E Moulton on School Library Journal’s site. Erin wrote a moving and insightful article on the need for fiction to help readers, and she put together a fantastic list of books librarians, teachers, and readers can turn to for various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD especially from abuse and assault (and resulting in self-harm), dissociation, eating disorders, bi-polar, and more!

I used books to survive my own abuse and trauma as a child and teen–and I still use books to help me cope with the effects of trauma. So it always feels so good to hear from other readers and from librarians (and teachers) who recommend my books to others, or who read my books themselves and find them helpful. Thank you Erin for helping others find my books!

I am honored that SCARS is included in a thoughtful B&N blog post: “8 Great YAs About Mental Health Issues” written by Dahlia Adler.

Dahlia includes some powerful YA books on various mental health issues, including Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (eating disorders), It’s Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini (depression), OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu (OCD), and Crazy by Amy Reed (bi-polar).

Check out her post for the entire list and thoughtful descriptions of the books from someone who’s clearly read them and been touched by them, and to leave a comment about your favorite YA books that deal with mental health issues.

I think it’s important that we have books that deal with mental health issues in honest and realistic ways–and that provide hope. We all need to know that we’re not alone, and that things can get better.

In the video below, I talk about Scars being challenged, why I wrote Scars, and the need for “dark” books – for Banned Book Week. I read banned and challenged books, and I hope you do, too!

Here are some of my favorite quotes about banning books and censorship:

“Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance.”
- Lyndon Baines Johnson

“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. ”
- Joseph Brodsky

“If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.”
- Benjamin Franklin

“Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.”
- Heinrich Heine

“Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.”
- Voltaire

Do you have a favorite quote about banned books or censorship? How about a favorite banned or challenged book? Let me know!

If you haven’t got a copy of SCARS as an ebook yet, you’ll be happy to know that SCARS is free today and tomorrow on Amazon (as an ebook). You don’t need a Kindle to be able to read it; using the Kindle app, you can read it on your computer, iPad, iPhone, or Android device.

I hope you’ll download a copy, and let all your friends know.

I love it when readers write to me–and it’s such a treat when they send me fan art! Brigitte created this fan art for SCARS. She created it for a book report she did at school, when her class had to pick their favorite book to work on. I think her art is beautiful and evocative, and captures a lot of the emotion in SCARS, and a lot of the messages that Kendra got from her abuser. Thank you, Brigitte!

SCARS fan art by Brigitte

Have you ever drawn fan art for a book you love?

I have just added some freebies that you can download that deal with self-harm. I hope you’ll grab them if you need them, or share them with others. I hope you’ll find them helpful.

You can down download as PDFs:

Reasons Not To Hurt Yourself

and my tips on dealing with self-harm:

Alternatives To Self-Harm

How To Stop Self-Harming

Helpful Responses To Someone Who’s Self-Harmed

Reasons Not To Hurt Yourself
by Cheryl Rainfield

• Because you do not deserve to be hurt, not by anyone, not even yourself;

By Cheryl Rainfield, author of SCARS

Drawing by Cheryl Rainfield, part of the Love Yourself affirmation cards

I offer free bookmarks for Scars with tips on how to deal with self-harm; if you want some, just email me your snail mail address. You can also access the tips at my site. (You can also request a free signed bookplate.)

Jennifer Wharton, a youth services librarian at Matheson Memorial Library, had a fantastic idea on how to use the bookmarks. She told me that she’s going to put one bookmark into every copy of Scars that’s returned to the library. That means, when the copies get checked out again, that the library patron will have a bookmark with tips on how to deal with self-harm, right there in front of them. I love it!

You might also consider giving a bookmark (or all three) to someone you know who’s dealing with self-harm, or who works with people who deal with self-harm.

There are three individual bookmarks–Helpful Responses to Someone Who’s Self-Harmed; Alternatives to Self-Harm; and How To Stop Self-Harming.

Know another way to use the bookmarks? Let me know.

I’m glad the day exists, though I wonder how many people know about it. Self-harm is something that not a lot of people talk about, and when they do, there’s often shame. People often respond to self-harm with anger, blame, disgust, attempts at control…or they just don’t know what to do.

There are a few things I think it’s really important to know:

• Self-harm is NOT acting out, manipulation, or a failed suicide attempt; the person is usually trying to cope with great emotional distress, and trying to feel better.;
  
  
• One of the most helpful responses to self-harm is coming from a place of compassion. It also helps to educate yourself about self-harm.

More people are becoming aware of self-harm, and more people are responding in ways that help–but there are so many teens using self-harm that feel like they’re the only one, feel like no one understands them. I’ve received so many reader letters telling me that. So if you know someone who’s used self-harm–or even if you don’t–I hope you’ll take a minute or two to read some tips on self-harm, and perhaps be better prepared when you come across it. And for those of you who have used self-harm–I hope you know, and can take in, that you don’t deserve to be hurt–not ever, not by anyone–not even yourself! I also hope you’ll find ways to treat yourself with the same love and compassion that you would a friend. It’s hard, it takes time–but it’s worth it. You are!

Check out my tips on self-harm:
Helpful Responses to Someone Who’s Used Self-Harm
How To Stop Self-Harming
Alternatives To Self-Harm

and my detailed article What To Do When You Feel Like Hurting Yourself

Another *fantastic* resource on understanding self-harm is Secret Shame. It is the first site I send anyone, and one of the best-written sites with the greatest (in my opinion) understanding of self-harm, its causes and effects.

If you’re looking for a more detailed insider view of self-harm, you might consider picking up my book Scars.

My interview on Fox 25 Morning News in Boston today was such a lovely, positive experience! Kim Carrigan, the interviewer, was so friendly, professional, and kind with me, and asked wonderful questions. And Michele Lazcano, the producer, who greeted Julie Schoerke (my book publicist) and me at the door, was also so welcoming, down-to-earth, and friendly; I felt put at ease and greatly welcomed by both women. It was a wonderful, wonderful experience!

Check out the interview below:

Read about Why I Write About Self-Harm, Sexual Abuse, Being Queer, & Other Tough Stuff on Raw Ink. You may need to join to read.

I may also post it here in full text, if you all want me to.