Crying Scarlet Tears: My journey through self-harm

Description

Sophie was a nice Christian teenager, the much-loved daughter of decent hardworking parents. One night she came back from babysitting and, almost without conscious motive, hit her leg with a coathanger. Then she tried whipping herself with a belt. The following day she scratched her arm repeatedly with the point of a compass. The sensation produced a warm sense of wellbeing, a release of tension. Thus began an eight-year struggle to conceal what was happening from her parents and friends; to reconcile this addiction with her faith; to find a stronger sense of self-worth; to find healing. Slowly, with lapses, she learned to identify the triggers and to realise that Jesus does not reject the self-harmer. Today Sophie works with teenagers and has considerable insight into how this very common problem can be tackled.

Sophie Scott is the pen-name for an author living in Buckinghamshire, a youth worker in a local church. Because of her history of self-harm she wishes to conceal her identity for the sake of her family.