Have you been seeing perplexing semicolon tattoos all over your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds? There’s a reason for that. And unlike a lot of tattoo trends, this one has a reason behind it, and it’s nothing less than heartwarming.
It’s part of a non-profit organization called Project Semicolon. Founded by Amy Bluel, a woman who lost her father to suicide in 2013, the project hopes to restore hope in those who are affected by mental illness. It encourages those who are affected by suicide, depression, self-harm, addiction, or any other number of issues to tattoo or draw a semicolon on their wrist.
But why a semicolon? The project says that it’s a symbol of a choice—the choice to move forward. As Bluel states on her website, “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.”
We all either have suffered or know someone close to us who has suffered from depression, anxiety, or another mental health issue. According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, an estimated one in five adults in the United States will experience mental illness in a given year. If that statistic doesn’t give you a sense of the scope, that’s 43.7 million people.
That’s where this project can help. This project hopes that by encouraging people affected by these issues to share their semicolon tattoos publicly, they can show others who suffer that they’re not alone. They hope to create a dialogue about these issues, bring them into public awareness, and destigmatize them so that people don’t feel like they need to hide their pain.
If you believe that you or someone you know is suffering from mental illness, you can call the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline at 800-950-6264.
How has your life been affected by mental illness?
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