BENEATH THE SCARS: An unflinching account of living with severe self-injury and surviving childhood sexual abuse

This biography is about the life of Simon Kendall who, from the age of six, became the victim of sexual abuse and subsequently began to injure himself. Simon cut himself in order to cope with his inner torment and although he maintains his self-injury is not about wanting to die, he did throw himself off a dual carriageway bridge in his early twenties. Simon is now a double amputee and is wheelchair bound.

The book explains the torment behind his scars and the reasons he tattooed his face. Our hope is that reading Simon’s story will help those who injure themselves feel less alienated and better understand themselves. We also hope that it will help those who are in relationships with them gain a better understanding of why they may injure themselves and what is helpful and unhelpful in their interactions with them.

The last two chapters of the book explain self-injury and why some people resort to this extreme coping mechanism. They also cover the mental health disorders which may surround this mostly secretive and alienating issue, and a question and answer session with Simon.