ABSTRACT
To address the ethical and legal problems hampering censorship, some more practical and empathetic solutions are posed in this final chapter. Core to this is appreciating that self-harmful communities contain some positive dimensions that should be nurtured and appreciated by medical professionals and other caregivers. With the right support, damaging content can be voluntarily limited and positive content, such as empathetic support during dark times, can be made central. This is more likely to be appreciated by community members who are understandably alienated and angered by kneejerk censorship or a refusal to appreciate their need to connect with one another. Rather than calling for censorship of material discussing physical and psychological pain, journalists can help by educating the public on the mental health. From within pro-self-harm communities, the pre-existing pro-recovery movement can be given additional support. It is vital that people experiencing mental ill health have a safe space to purge negative emotions where they feel validated rather than dismissed. Pain can certainly be a part of the recovery journey and the pathway to new meaningful identities than can replace the echo chamber of sadness and harm.
