In recent years ,you might have seen someone with a Semi-colon tattoo.If not, you may not be looking close enough. They're popping up...
Tattoos, which for most of the years were frowned upon, looked upon as a sign of being rebellious, slowly changed their perception to be considered as a work of art to something that can have a social impact..Semicolon gained popularity in the last couple of years, unlike some random trend, this has a serious meaning behind it. Semicolon tattoos represent mental health struggles & suicide prevention.
It all started in 2013 by Amy Bleul to honour her late father whom she lost to suicide. With her own lifelong battle with depression,Suicidal tendencies and substance abuse after her father's death, she set out to create awareness for those who battle mental health challenges, substance addiction and Suicidal tendencies. And hence, project Semicolon was born. By 2017, Bleuel's battle ended in tragedy as she took her own life but her story and legacy saved thousands.
"A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you, and the sentence is your life,” explains Project Semicolon’s website. Punctuations help you say exactly what you mean, but few think of it as more than a way to pause or end a sentence. But for thousands affected by mental health, the semicolon has become an important signifier of survival.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.8 million people seriously thought about committing suicide. This is a separate number from those who have a mental illness, as the two are not always related. And that’s exactly what project semicolon is working to change—the stigma around suicide.It quickly became a social media movement, which encouraged people to get a semicolon tattoo as a form of showing solidarity and one's personal fight with depression and suicidal thoughts.
People have embraced the symbol as a reminder that their story isn’t over yet—and that they should tell it.What’s more, the tattoo has encouraged people to demand recognition for and discussion about illnesses that often skates under the radar because they are invisible. Soon it was not just survivors but supporters started getting semi colon inked to show themselves as a safe place to share your thoughts and struggles.
Ink has always been a conversation starter, and the semicolon emblem is no different. It’s an opportunity for survivors, those who battle every day, and even to supporters who talk to those unaware of mental illness. It gives them the opportunity to talk without fear of being judged or misunderstood.
We must realize, Mental illnesses may have no signs, no warnings and can sometimes be very sudden symptoms. One day you can be laughing with a friend and the next day, they could be gone. That’s the case some people have experienced, hence the start of initiatives like Project Semicolon.
Reading about the project and drawing semicolons all over your body won’t end your mental struggles, but it will make your grief a little bit easier to handle. The key to the success of the project remains to be in giving hope to people whose struggles become intolerable for them to remain alive. When we pursue efforts to raise awareness for mental illness within our families and communities, those who deal with it typically feel less alone and desperate – it helps to make them more inclined to ask for help while feeling safe and unjudged. That’s the help that may well save their life..!!
Sorces: bustle.com,grammarly.com,empower-mag.com
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