Introduction to Kim Berkley, Author of 'Speaking Out About Self-Injury'

My name is Kim Berkley, and I'm the new author of Speaking Out About Self-Injury. I’m looking forward to putting my writing skills to particularly good use here where I hope my words will bring some measure of comfort and clarity to those struggling with self-harm.

Self-Injury Silenced Kim Berkley

I have never publicly spoken out about self-harm before now. Even in private, I have only rarely broached the subject. In part, I think it’s because silence has been part of my coping method for a long time. If I didn’t talk about it, or so my theory went, I wouldn’t have to think about it, and so I could widen the gap between my present self and the high school student who used to harm her skin in the middle of the night. It’s been many years since I stopped, and ever since, I have done my best not to look back.

But silence is only golden in libraries, not in the realm of mental health; and, not talking about it hasn’t made the past, or the scars it left, magically disappear. So I’m speaking up now, not for myself, but because I know exactly what it feels like to cope with something like self-harm alone—and because I believe you shouldn’t have to.

Kim Berkley Speaks Up About Self-Harm

I am not a therapist, nor am I a medical professional. I can’t “cure” self-harm, and I can’t stop you or your loved one from engaging in self-harm. But my hope is that, with this blog, I can provide an easily accessible resource to which you can always turn for advice, for solace, or simply to be reminded that you are not alone.

The pain and isolation that often fuel self-harm urges are weeds that grow best in silence. Uprooting them begins with speaking out about self-injury and creating safe spaces in which to discuss it, and I am honored to have the opportunity to do so right here at HealthyPlace, right now, with you.

More About Kim Berkley

For more about Kim Berkley and where she plans on taking the Speaking Out About Self-Injury blog, watch this.

Kim is an author, game developer, and cat enthusiast. She has been writing professionally since 2012 (and habitually for much longer than that). She has dipped her fingers into everything from video game journalism to copywriting for funeral homes and mental health clinics, and she has written and developed one and a half interactive fiction games (so far), The Harbinger’s Head and The Dragon’s Last Flight.

See here if you struggle with self-harm and need help or support.