Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light : A Memoir of Cutting, Healing, and Hope

When Vanessa Vega would feel the darkness begin to come over her, she would do anything, hoping to escape it. Take a hot bath. Read a book. Watch TV. Talk to a friend. But then, finally, unable to fight it any longer, she would give in, head into the bathroom...and cut. "Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light" is a disturbing yet ultimately redemptive and inspiring memoir of a young woman compelled to injure herself in an attempt to cope with her overwhelming feelings of anxiety in the only way she knew how. Though still unknown to many, this disorder affects an estimated one per cent of the population...and is on the rise, especially among teens. This affecting, heartwrenching book follows author Vanessa Vega's progress as she climbs her way back to emotional health and rebuilds her life. Readers will go inside the mind of a 'cutter', taking the journey with her as she struggles against her exhausting and shameful secret ritual.As Vega faces the anger and insecurity that lead to each encounter - while working with a therapist to understand the real motivating factors behind her behavior - "Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light" reveals what brings many to this disorder...and what can lead them out. With stunning insight, Vega has written a moving first-person account of self-injury, struggle, and redemption. It Is A Compulsion Like No Other, The Inescapable Consequence And Intermingling Of Tension, Shame, Guilt, And Frustration. It Is A Descent Into A Realm Of Darkness Few Can Understand ... Yet Many Secretly Experience. It Is The Disorder Known As Cutting. And For Vanessa Vega, It Was A Dangerous, Horrific Battle That Was Ultimately Won. It Is Estimated That Millions Of People Engage In Cutting Or Other Forms Of Self-mutilation. Still Not Fully Understood, Cutting And Related Disorders Are On The Rise, Particularly Among Teens And Young Adults. Each Cutter's Struggle Is Unique - And The Journey Into And Out Of The Nightmare Deeply Personal. Comes The Darkness, Comes The Light Is One Person's Account Of Sadness, Anguish, Healing, And Hope. Vanessa Vega Would Stop At Nothing To Cause - And Therefore Control - Her Own Pain. When She Wasn't Cutting Herself, She Might Be Slamming A Hand Or Arm Or Leg Against A Wall. Or She Might Donate Blood Or Get Her Iron Level Checked - Just To Feel The Stick Of The Needle. Her Actions Would Sometimes Leave Her In An Almost Trance-like State, Large Portions Of Her Day Left Only As Foggy Images If They Weren't Blocked Out Completely. The Need To Cut Called To Her, Even As She Fought Back, Sometimes Succeeding, Often Giving In To A Need She Herself Couldn't Yet Hope To Understand. But Amidst All Of The Heartbreak, For Vanessa, Redemption Was In Sight. Slowly, With The Help Of Family, Friends, Therapists, And An Abiding Faith, Vanessa Gradually And Painfully Began To Shake Off The Bonds Of Despair And Helplessness, Ultimately Gaining Strength, Until At Last She Looked The Demon In The Eye - And Stared Him Down. Comes The Darkness, Comes The Light Is One Woman's Story Of A Life Lost And Then Regained. Offering Hope And Agonizingly Hard-won Insight To Others Battling This Painful Disorder, It Is A Chilling Look At The Destructive Power Of The Human Mind, And An Unprecedented Account Of The Tragic Results Of Self-mutilation. But In The End, It Is A Testament To The Incredible Power Of The Desire To Live, And To The Endless Strength Available To All Of Us - Even In Our Very Darkest Hour.--jacket. Vanessa Vega. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 219-221). Silver Winner, 2008 Nautilus Book Awards, Memoir/Personal Growth category. When Vanessa Vega would feel the darkness begin to come over her, she would do anything, hoping to escape it. Take a hot bath. Read a book. Watch TV. Talk to a friend. But then, finally, unable to fight it any longer, she would give in, head into the bathroom...and cut. Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light is a disturbing yet ultimately redemptive and inspiring memoir of a young woman compelled to injure herself in an attempt to cope with her overwhelming feelings of anxiety in the only way she knew how. Though still unknown to many, this disorder affects an estimated one percent of the population...and is on the rise, especially among teens. This affecting, heartwrenching book follows author Vanessa Vega's progress as she climbs her way back to emotional health and rebuilds her life. Readers will go inside the mind of a "cutter," taking the journey with her as she struggles against her exhausting and shameful secret ritual. As Vega faces the anger and insecurity that lead to each encounter -- while working with a therapist to understand the real motivating factors behind her behavior -- Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light reveals what brings many to this disorder...and what can lead them out. With stunning insight, Vega has written a moving first-person account of self-injury, struggle, and redemption. Not that many books are out there. This is only one other "memoir." (Possibly more coming out before this one.) This one combines her descriptions of the illness with descriptions of her therapy. It goes into why she does it and how she is able to heal herself. It provides support from Bettie Young, PhD