Amy Bleuel, mental health advocate, founded the Project Semicolon, which focuses on dealing with mental health issues and suicide prevention, in 2013. Bleuel decided to start the project to honor her father who committed suicide. The goal of the Project Semicolon is to spread the work that dealing with problems is only the beginning, not the end.
The semicolon tattoo symbolizes to internal “struggle of depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide and their will to continue on,” according to the website.
Bleuel said in her website, "Despite the wounds of a dark past I was able to rise from the ashes, proving that the best is yet to come. When my life was filled with the pain of rejection, bullying, suicide, self-injury, addiction, abuse and even rape, I kept on fighting. I didn't have a lot of people in my corner, but the ones I did have kept me going.
“In my 20 years of personally struggling with mental health I experienced many stigmas associated with it. Through the pain came inspiration and a deeper love for others. God wants us to love one another despite the label we wear. I do pray my story inspires others. Please remember there is hope for a better tomorrow."
Bleuel previously attempted to take her own life before. She was brave enough to open up about her struggles and encouraged others to deal with mental illness by learning about it and sharing their own stories to others so that no one would feel like they’re alone in their battles.
Bleuel recently passed away at the age of 31 years old in March 23rd. She took her life by committing suicide, the same enemy she’d been fighting against.
Bleuel’s death affects the whole mental health community, as one of their most spoken and progressive advocates just passed away. But they are also taking this as a reminder that there’s still a lot of work to do in spreading the importance of suicide prevention.
Dan Reidenberg, Ezecutive Director of Suicide Awareness Voice of Education told ATTN:, “It’s a reminder for the suicide prevention community that we still have work to do. We still need to be available and aware that even if someone seems to be doing very well, things are going on inside that could be troubling.”
According to information gathered from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention by ATTN:, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. Every completed suicide, there are 25 suicide attempts.
